Excited about things
by A-Simple-Rainbow
Summary: "It's not fair because I'll never get to make fun of your pictures!" He whines and Kurt stops dead on his track. The silence is thick and then Blaine sighs and laughs "Relax, I'm kidding." "I'm… I…" "You're gonna have to get used to blind jokes if this is gonna work." Blaine announces, smirking as he leaves the kitchen, glass in hand. (Blind!blaine, Skank!Kurt, FLUFF)
1. Chapter 1

This story is inspired by (but not based on) spookyclaire's "The boy with the laser pointer" which you can find on her tumblr – spookyclaire. Just thought I'd put it out there in the spirit of honesty. I started writing it after reading the first part of it. :) I hope you'll enjoy it!

**Part 1**

Kurt eyes the kid sitting at the courtyard corner table. He's never seen him before. He must be a new student. He's just sitting there, legs pulled up into a pretzel position, and his back straight as he played with the muffin in his hands, sometimes tearing a small bit and putting it carefully in his mouth. The boy looks straight ahead, not even phased by the bright light shining on his face, only occasionally looking towards a loud voice or a bark of laughter, someone running by, or a stray ball. From afar Kurt can't tell much beyond a strong jaw, thick eyebrows and a pleasant nose, but there is an obvious balance to his features that makes Kurt sure the boy was pretty hot.

Also gay.

Yeah. The boy screams gay.

It's probably the bright blue bowtie and the matching suspenders, over a crisp, immaculate white button-up shirt and dark denim shorts. It makes him look both like a kid and a teenager from another decade – maybe the fifties. One of his feet, clad in immaculate red Converse All Stars, is tapping away the rhythm to some song only he was privy to, and Kurt is surprised at how curious he is to know the song. He's even more surprised that he is curious about something that innocent rather than about how his lips would look stretched over his cock.

No.

With a sigh Kurt has to admit to himself he isn't surprised about that. At all. His_ friends_ might've been, had he told them, but he isn't.

It's been two years since he lost his virginity, in the back of his car (and wasn't that an embarrassing stain he'd had to lie about to his dad), and yet the fact that he does_n't_ even remember the name – Devin? Daniel? Dylan? – is what disappoints him more than anything (more than the fact that the boy in question hadn't ever called back, more than the fact that it hadn't been all that it was cracked up to be, and more than the fact that, yes, he really was that much of cliché and lost his virginity on the backseat of a car). Since then there had been numerous anonymous faces – as many as Lima, Ohio has to offer as far as gay appropriately aged men goes (ok, maybe there was one or two older encounters which had taught Kurt that age does not always mean _experience_).

He'd thought he'd want that – casual, easy, unattached, even anonymous –, but even after two years of only that he can't help the empty, hollow feeling it always leaves behind. Of course his friends don't know that, because more than him having thought he wanted that at some point in his life, there is the fact that he did so because he was supposed to.

God forbid they find out he had actual fantasies about… relationships and maybe making_ love_. So, as far as they're concerned, he'd loved casual hook ups, and he continues to love them.

That isn't to say Kurt wants to fall in love with the fifties boy over there. But he definitely isn't looking at him because he just wants to fuck him. He's looking because the boy looks cute in those clothes, even adorable, because he looks like he'll be nice to talk to, because he looks strangely peaceful and happy – because that is a change Kurt would very much welcome at this point in his life, even if he isn't ready to admit to anyone but himself –, and he is looking because he's curious – innocently curious (mostly).

Finally, Kurt flicks his finished cigarette and steps on it "Who's that?" he asks, jerking his head towards the boy.

Quinn shrugs "I don't know…" she mumbles "New kid? Probably… never seen him before."

"Me neither." Santana says with barely a glance over her shoulder "but he's oh so gay."

"I know, _right_?" Kurt smirks "See you guys later."

"I'm not sure pink hair, leather jacket and combat boots are his type…" Santana drawls, giving Kurt a lingering look.

"Because bowties and suspenders are mine? Who cares? He looks hot. In a nerdy kind of way… And he's probably a virgin. I've never fucked a virgin – it must be hot." he lies seamlessly "So. See you later, ladies."

Their laughter trails after him as he walks away from them and towards the boy, his handsome face all the more clear as he steps closer, and _all the more handsome_, too.

When Kurt is barely two yards away the boy cocks his head a little, eyebrows knitting a together and bottom lip disappearing between his teeth, as he turns his head ever so slightly in Kurt's direction, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

It confuses Kurt that the boy won't look right at him. Anyone else would – actually anyone else would've just stared. Either that or flat out ignore him. But they usually look. Especially when he's this close, and his pink, spiked up hair, and his leather jacket are unmistakable.

But not this boy, not until Kurt is right up there – less than four feet away – hands in his pockets and trying not to look too confused or, god forbid, upset over the cold shoulder. Still, for some reason, he can't help taking one hand out of his pocket and scratching the back of his neck, trying, at the very least, to look relaxed about it.

_That_'s when the boy does turn his head all the way towards Kurt – he's got his hair gelled back with what Kurt think is a little bit too much product, but it sort of suits him, in his own nerdy, preppy kind of way.

His eyes are bright and searching, and Kurt takes another step forward just so he can make sure they're as lovely as they look. Yes, they're a perfect shade of hazel, practically golden as the sunshine lights them up. He's got a sort of confused look about him, apprehensive, too – well, Kurt wouldn't blame him… most people were apprehensive about Kurt approaching them, too – before he looked away, ducking his head, and finally releasing his lower lip with a nervous smile and saying a timid "Hi…?"

"Hi!" Kurt says "I'm Kurt." Kurt says with a self-contained smile, and then adds in a tone of slight indifference "So, I've never seen you here before… Are you new?"

"Yes, yeah, yeah I am." The boy mumbles out and Kurt chuckles at how nervous he sounds, but then the boy is taking a deep breath and shaking his head to himself before adding, with a glance in Kurt's direction "My name is Blaine, by the way, and I was just sitting here hoping that someone would come by and prove to me that McKinley High has a better welcoming committee than a seriously challenged Principal and a freakishly nervous student counselor." Blaine smiles, looking almost relieved as Kurt chuckles, and adds "So, do tell, are you my actual welcoming committee?" he asks with a nervous smirk and another glance towards Kurt.

Kurt's never been called anything close to welcoming – mostly because he's not exactly warm, or nice, or… well, welcoming. But something about Blaine fascinates him and makes him want to say yes. "Well, I'm not sure you can make a committee out of one single person, and I doubt most people would think of welcoming as a descriptor for me, but I'll take what I can get, Blaine."

The boy's smile grows wider and he turns to face Kurt fully, for the first time, and Kurt doesn't have time to consider how there's something wrong about the way the boy's eyes seem to be focusing on his shoulder rather than his face, - can someone really be that shy? - because a hand stretches out a chocolate muffin and he asks "Would you like some?"

"Humm…" Kurt frowns, amused at the half eaten cake "Actually, yes…" he says, stepping forward as Blaine breaks the remaining muffin into two parts and offers one to Kurt. Their fingers brush as Kurt takes it and maybe that's just his imagination running wild but it feels a little like Blaine chases his fingers "Thanks." He says.

"No problem." Blaine shrugs.

They stay silent for a few minutes, quietly chewing the cake – and Blaine's continuing his little game of playing with it more than eating it, while staring at the courtyard in front of him.

Kurt's finished with his part before Blaine's even halfway through, but it's still the new boy who speaks first.

"So, if you're not my _official _welcoming committee – and you'd be surprised at how many schools I've been to have had honest to god welcoming committees for students that were made of students, and it was just usually super awkward, so… anyway – if you're not that… can I ask you why you came over, or are you just that fond of chocolate muffins?" he finishes with a playful grin.

"I do enjoy a good pastry once in a while." Kurt nods, and as he contemplates a better answer he gestures towards the rest of the bench where Blaine's sitting "Can I sit here?"

"Sure!" Blaine smiles and scoots over, hand reaching out to grab the other edge of the seat and pull himself toward it.

"Thanks." Kurt mutters as he sits, and pulls one leg up, to tuck his combat boot clad foot under his other leg, and holds his knee "I don't know, honestly. I saw you from across the courtyard and… I just thought 'hey, there's a cute guy I've never seen before, let's go talk to him!'" Kurt shrugs, trying to keep everything from his face to his voice cool.

He looks over to find Blaine ducking his head and blushing, and biting his lip – but he's smiling, so it's probably ok, Kurt figures. Blaine chews on his lip a moment longer before taking a deep breath and pulling his lips into the same nervous smirk from before, like he's trying to be cheeky but he's not quite there yet, and says "Cute guy, huh?"

Kurt smirks, wishing the guy would just stop playing so coy, so he could actually look him in the eye and not feel like he was having a conversation with the whole courtyard, or something. "Well, if you ignore the bowtie and the suspenders…"

Blaine's smile doesn't even falter and he chuckles as he asks "What? You don't like them?" his fingers come to touch at the bowtie, gently outlining it.

And now Kurt kind of wants to backpedal because, when you really take it all in, it does look adorable even if a little dorky. Of course, Kurt's not exactly supposed to be into adorable and dorky, but… if anyone asks, he's just trying to get into tight little virgin pants. That thought alone makes him shudder, though. "If I said I did my reputation would be ruined, so let's stick to an inconclusive answer like it's not just anyone that can pull off a bowtie and suspenders…"

"And I can?" Blaine looks at him, eyebrows raised in hopefulness and eyes a little lost and searching.

"Like I said, Blaine, my reputation's at stake here…" Kurt teases, giving him a wink.

Blaine frowns only a little before looking back ahead and Kurt whishes he could just ask him not to "And what exactly is your reputation, Mr. Cigarette smell?" Blaine only glances this time, with a quirked eyebrow before he pops some chocolate muffin into his mouth and adds "Those are really bad for you, by the way. Worse than the dorkiness of bowties and suspenders, I fear."

Kurt chuckles, more out of habit than anything – he's gotten used to people telling him he should quit (actually no, he hasn't, he's just stopped talking to most of the people who don't smoke, which is actually quite limiting, but also a relief in a lot of ways: less expectations to live up to, and less opinions to give a shit about) "I've heard the tales before, but thanks for the concern."

"It's not just concern, though." Blaine says with a teasing smirk, almost all traces of nervousness hidden (but still very much there) "I don't think this is going to work out between us if you're going to smell like that, or god forbid, taste like that." Blaine shoots him a self-satisfied smirk and then looking ahead with his chin held high like he's so proud of himself, like he's maybe thinking that he's done it! He's managed to be cheeky to the bad kid with the pink hair and the combat boots.

Kurt laughs at how adorable it is (again, if anyone asks, he's just trying to get laid) and is surprised to find there's actually a small part of him that wants to say 'ok, I'll quit, then', but instead he shrugs and says "There's always breath mints, don't worry. I can even buy your favorite flavor." To which Blaine smiles, blushes and ducks his head, ripping another piece of cake and shyly putting it into his mouth, quickly losing all of his previous hard-worked cockiness. Kurt watches the way his lips graze the tips of his fingers. Blaine has really nice lips, too. They're plump, and red, and just the tiniest bit pouty – it must feel great kissing them.

Surprisingly though, Kurt actually wants to see them smile more than he wants to kiss them, so when they've fallen silent again for another few minutes, he tries to come up with something clever, or funny, or at the very least, flirty – because that seems to do the trick, too, with the added bonus of a blush.

But again, Blaine beats him to the punch and he prompts "You never did tell me about that reputation of yours."

"Oh." Kurt frowns "I thought it… was pretty obvious."

"How so?"

"Well, how many guys in leather jackets, combat boots and dyed hair, who smoke do you know to have the reputation of an upstanding student and citizen that would appreciate your bowtie?"

"Oh." Blaine frowned "I… I didn- I… Huh… Right. I just…"

"Blaine?" Kurt frowns, leaning forward and closer, considering putting a hand on his shoulder because Blaine's face is a deep shade of red, but the bashful smile is long gone and he's just frowning as he bites his lip and his eyes dance from spot to spot without ever focusing on anything, hands suddenly tearing the pastry to bits, loitering the ground, the bench, even his pants. "Did I… What's wrong?"

"Right" Blaine sighs"– huh- I'm blind…?" he cringes, glancing at Kurt in a way that Kurt didn't notice before wasn't exactly meant to see him more than it was to clarify that he was there and listening and a willing participant of a conversation "Like… My eyes don't work. I have… blind eyes. I'm blind."

"Right!" Kurt gasps, everything from the way Blaine just seems to always be staring into nothing in particular, to how he never actually looked Kurt in the eyes, suddenly made a lot of sense "Of course! I didn't, shit…!" he cursed "Fuck. I'm sorry."

"It's fine, it's ok…" Blaine said, his voice tentative and a little smaller, though "I won't blame you if you just… go… or whatever. So…"

"What?! No!" it's out of Kurt's mouth before he can even register what he said. Not that he regrets it. But the way it's so automatic is sufficient reason for concern – or at least it will be, when he's explaining all of this to the rest of the skanks.

"Kurt…" Blaine chuckled, but it was tinged with a little sadness, or resignation, maybe "Come on… I don't really need anyone's pity, or anything, so if you wanna go, just go. You obviously weren't expecting me to be blind when you said I was cute, and I promise I won't hold it against you…"

"But – huh – I don't want to go…?" Kurt says, trying to work out exactly why he's never had such an easy answer before.

"You don't?" Blaine frowned, skeptical.

"No." Kurt shook his head.

There was a moment of silence where Blaine seemed to consider Kurt's answer before he finally straightened up, and pushed the rest of the muffin into his mouth and said with the cutest and most charming, even if terribly fake, nonchalance "Cool! I'm glad! I needed someone to show me where Mrs. Lindson classroom is, anyway."

Blaine's amused little smirk took Kurt a little aback.

xXxXx

He's leaving school, surprisingly late (but only because he lost track of time smoking with Quinn behind the bleachers), when he sees Blaine exiting the school building, his walking cane hitting the floor in front of him in small, constant movements.

It takes him all of two seconds to decide to go over.

"So, on a scale of one to ten, how annoying was Rachel Berry?" he asks. Upon arrival to Blaine's classroom they had been interrupted by the hobbit in person as she forcefully introduced herself and started spewing off fast words about handicaps and clubs.

Blaine's face breaks out into a smile instantaneously and Kurt tries not to think too much about how that makes him smile, too. "I've had worse." Blaine shrugs as he continues walking, and Kurt takes his side "You would not believe how obviously condescending some people can be."

"Worse than Berry?" Kurt cringes.

Blaine lets out a bark of laughter "Ha! Please, she's a dream compared to most. She's actually not that condescending, as much as she is accidentally offensive every two minutes."

"I know, right? I still remember when she came to talk to me because she wanted to start a LesbAll alliance – a straight and gay alliance, whatever that means…" Kurt sighs "She has two dads, so for the whole of our freshman year she thought we were necessarily friends."

"Well, of course!" Blaine rolls his eyes "What do you mean there's more to you than your sexuality?"

Kurt tries and fails mostly at concealing the gasp of, finally, someone understanding his problem with not just Rachel, but most people that had ever tried to befriend him in this school "Thank you…!" he breathes and looks to find Blaine shooting a smile in his general direction.

"Just so I don't make a fool of myself here, I_ am _going towards the front gate, yeah?" Blaine asks after a moment of silence.

"Yeah." Kurt nods with a chuckle and then bites his lip and even if he's not sure if he should ask he does anyway "Do you need help getting home?"

"Huh… well…" Blaine seems to consider his offer, and at least Kurt can be relieved that apparently he didn't take it badly "I don't need it _desperately_… but… sure." He smiles.

"Awesome." Kurt smiles to himself.

"Even if I'm not sure I should give alleged Mr. Leather Jacket and Pink Hair my address." Blaine teases, and even if there's still an edge to his voice, like before in the courtyard, he certainly does sound a little surer of himself.

"Better me than Berry, I tell you."

Blaine chuckles "Oh, I don't know. She did tell me some interesting things about you…"

"What?! She talked to you about me?" Kurt gasped, feeling his face heating up with sudden rage.

Blaine just laughed harder and shook his head "_I _asked."

"Oh. Well. You could've asked me."

"Relax. I was just teasing you. It was mostly innocent. Like what color is your hair and if you're as bad as you make yourself out to be."

"Mostly…?"

Blaine blushes and his smile becomes shy and nervous, though it never falters as he shrugs "I may have asked if you were cute…"

Kurt's torn between blushing himself and enjoying the warmth that settles on his stomach or asking him what the answer was – of course Berry, like anyone else at that school, would probably take any chance to badmouth him. "Oh… well…" he tries for nonchalance "Not that Berry would know cute if it hit her in the face, since she's dating Finn Hudson, but… do tell. What did she say?"

Blaine's smile grows a little "You _are_ walking me home, aren't you?" Kurt's gasping at how flirty the boy's smile has become to actually answer that and Blaine dissolves into a chuckle before he can, anyway "I'm _kidding_, don't mind me… I really couldn't care less what you look like – _obviously_. But yes, she said you're kind of cute, if that interests you."

"Not really, I don't give a fuck…" Kurt scoffs and Blaine just laughs "What? I don't!_ I_ know I'm hot, and I'm not interested in_ her_ opinion, anyway."

Blaine's chuckles are soft as they walk together, side by side. "Ok, Rachel Berry and perceived cuteness aside… Can… Can you tell me about yourself?"

The question takes Kurt aback, not just because of the general broadness of it – it is, after all that kind of question to which anyone will answer with a strained _I don't know! _– but also because Blaine asks it like he really is interested in the answer – whatever it may be. So Kurt avoids the obvious and finally says "I hate smoking…"

Blaine's eyebrows shoot up and his smile doesn't falter even as it grows confused, but he offers no answer and so Kurt continues.

"My best friend thinks my favorite book is Kerouac's On The Road, but it's actually Catcher In The Rye… and she doesn't know it for the exact same reason that it's my favorite book. It's that it was only when I read it, a few months ago, that I realized just how… stuck and bored I was." He sighs and looks to find Blaine smiling softly "And sometimes, when I'm completely alone at home I'll put on Nicki Minaj, crank up the volume and just dance."

Blaine laughs and then sighs in a happy, wistful sigh "Me too."

"Are you serious?" Kurt gasps.

Blaine nods with a face-splitting grin and offers "Va Va Voom is my current obsession…"

Kurt throws his head back in laughter and runs a hand through his hair before shaking his head in disbelief "I went through that one last week."

"_Just met a boy, just met a boy when/ He could come inside of my play pen_/ _'Cause he look like a superstar in the making"_ Blaine starts with a sort of embarrassed but eager smile, shooting a glance towards Kurt, who stifles his laugh with a hand. _"So I think that I'm going in for the taking/_ _Hear through the grape vine that he caking"_

Kurt rolls takes a deep breath, not quite believing that he's actually doing this in the middle of the street "_W-w-we could shoot a movie, he could do the taping/ B-b-boom, boom pow, this thing be shaking/I ain't even tryna find out who he dating_"

They sing together, laughter taking over 90% of the lyrics. Blaine is practically skipping, instead of walking, as he jumps right into it and at some point actually stops walking just to dance happily.

"Fuck my life!" Kurt gasps as they finish, practically cackling "I cannot believe I just did that in the middle of the street."

"And yet the world lives on." Blaine shrugs with a smirk.

"Shut up, I have a reputation to uphold." Kurt sighs, still smiling, though.

"So you keep saying." Blaine nods, his expression clearly coy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kurt squints.

"Nothing…" Blaine shrugs.

"Blaine…"

The boy doesn't answer at once, his smile fades a little before, after a while he turns to Kurt, and even if his eyes don't exactly find Kurt's it's as good as "I just wonder, how much do you actually want to uphold that reputation."

"I…" Kurt starts at once "I do."

Blaine doesn't even flinch, doesn't give the slightest indication of disappointment or surprise as he nods and says "Ok then."

"I do!"

"Ok." Blaine repeats and a sort of almost awkward silence falls between them, and it's the way Blaine starts worrying his lips, and his smile kind of vanishes that makes Kurt want to take it all back. But Blaine speaks first, with a sigh and refreshed smile "Don't tell anyone I listen to Niki Minaj and I won't tell anyone you're hitting on me, then. Deal?"

"What?" Kurt frowns.

"I also have a reputation to maintain, Kurt." Blaine smiles "I play the violin and the piano proficiently, I give recitals, and my parents like to think I stick with Mozzart and Mendelson."

"Oh, how do you-"

"I went to very… hum… special schools. And… well… playing instruments is a lot more about touch and hearing than it is about sight. Anyways, it took a lot of begging from me to get my parents to agree to let me have one year of normal high school experience."

"If your mom found out you listened to Ms. Minaj she would send you back to your special school?"

Blaine nods.

"Well, we can't have that, can we…? Not without me having your number at least…" Kurt teases because it's been too long since he's seen the blush and the bashful smile, and sure enough they return and they're just as charming as ever.

"Such forwardness…! Oh my…" Blaine laughs once he stops nervously nibbling on lip "Maybe if you can get me safely to my house… Tell me, are we passing a grocery store?"

"Yes."

"Then we turn right, now." Blaine announces taking a right and he does so walking a little too close to the road. Kurt doesn't even think before his hand is taking Blaine's elbow and pulling him closer. Blaine startles a little.

"Sorry… you were…"

"No, I know… It's fine! Thanks!" Blaine says a little flustered, and embarrassed though Kurt doesn't see why he should ever feel so.

"No problem… here, you should walk on the other side anyway…" Kurt mumbles, stepping over to the other side of Blaine so he's the one walking alongside the road and then, probably because Blaine is still sporting an embarrassed blush, though quietly smiling to himself – and that smile is honestly the cutest thing Kurt's ever seen-, his brain short circuits and he finds himself saying "Maybe I could… walk you home every day? Just so you won't…"

Blaine's eyebrows raise "Well, I don't need that, but…"

"I'd like to, anyway…"

"Are you sure you won't get sick of me, tough?" Blaine teases "let's take it one day at a time, shall we? Walk me home tomorrow?"

"Sounds cool." He nods trying to regain some sort of composure. When did Blaine become the cool one here?

"Besides, you don't want to endanger that reputation of yours, do you?"

"Oh…"

The half teasing is coupled with honest curiosity, as Blaine stops at the front gate to an honest to god white picket fence, a beautiful, big house behind it. He's running deft fingers through the carved 36 number, "Do you?"

There's a long stretch of silence as Blaine just stands there, hand gripping the wood a little nervously, blushing more and more by the minute. Kurt sighs and gives up on the walls, because this kid certainly knows how to kick them down "Maybe I _am_ a little tired of everything."

Blaine sighs with what seems like relief and a smile flickers through his face, but he doesn't say anything and they become silent again. Kurt wonders if this just made it all the more awkward, but then Blaine says, completely out of the blue "I've never read the Catcher in the Rye."

"Oh." Kurt frowns, trying to figure out what he's supposed to say to that "You should. It's great."

Blaine nods with one of his gentler smiles "What is it about?"

"A troubled kid who's expelled from his boarding school,… and he's trying to figure out what he wants to do with his life and what kind of person he wants to be, or should be… and he's kind of numb to most things, and trying to come to terms with… well, life and feelings in general."

"That's nice…" Blaine sighs "Do you have a favorite quote?"

Kurt thinks for a moment before saying, in the exact same tone he imagines Holden Caulfied used "I like it when people get excited about things. It's nice."

Blaine smiles again, and then asks in the same soft tone he's been using "Do you?"

"What?"

"Like it when people get excited about this?"

"I guess…"

"Or is it that you wish you got excited about things?"

Kurt tries not to feel it when his heart skips a beat at that "Both… but mostly that." Kurt gives a sort of a sad chuckle "I used to get excited, and then… I just…" he sighs "I don't know…"

"Well…" Blaine says, his tone taking on a little more energy, even if nervous and shaky as he takes a deep breath and steps a little closer towards Kurt "Do you want to get excited about Nicki Minaj tomorrow after school?"

"Oh?!"

"I can't today, I have piano lesson, but… if you wanted you could come over tomorrow and… we could just hang out because… I kind of… I like talking to you, and I'd really like it if we could be friends, or… yeah, so… maybe that could be exciting, right? I'm sorry, I'm being awkward and lame, but I…"

"I'd love to." Kurt interrupts. He doesn't say cool, or dope, or ok… he doesn't want to seem nonchalant when Blaine's put himself out like that – this boy deserves more than fake coolness. And so does Kurt.

"Great!" Blaine gasps with a brilliant grin, and then suddenly he's covering his face with a hand and mumbling "I mean, cool, or…"

Kurt laughs and touches Blaine's shoulder, to his surprise, but at least he doesn't look scared "I'll see you tomorrow in school, then?"

"Definitely."

Teasing "And can I get your number, then…?"

Teasing back with a blush "Maybe tomorrow…?"

"Well, then, see you tomorrow, Blaine."

"See you, Kurt."

xXxXx

Blaine's house is kind of big, and kind of… intimidating. Thirteen year old Kurt would have orgasmed with the interior design in there. Seventeen year old Kurt was trying not to be a silly teenager who liked fashion and interior design too much. But then again. This was Blaine. He lets out a low whistle and Blaine chuckles.

"So I've heard." He says with a smirk, even though Kurt hasn't really said anything "But our old house was actually bigger."

"You moved?"

"Of course!" Blaine shrugs, starting to walk up the stairs easily, hand trailing softly along the wall "That's how I managed to convince them to let me go to a normal school anyway. Told them, if we were moving to_ Lima_, I should at least get what I wanted right? And I was going to have to change schools anyway… And were they really going to drive me two hours there and back every day so I could go to Dalton Academy in _Westerville_? I don't think so."

"You're not manipulative at all." Kurt snickers and Blaine shoots a grin over his shoulder before opening the first door on the right.

"Welcome to my chambers." Blaine announces.

It's all in dark colors, and it's all very pretty and it's all very Blaine, somehow. There's a violin case sitting on the desk. "Are you any good?"

"Excuse me?"

"At the violin…" Kurt sputters – obviously Blaine didn't know he'd been looking at it "I mean are you good at playing the violin?"

"Oh!" Blaine smiles "Yeah… I'm pretty good, actually. The piano, too. And I've been learning the guitar – took some convincing from my parents, because it's such a… _common _instrument, but I told them it's cheaper than the violin and _easier_ to transport than the piano, so I can play something when I'm with friends. Not that…" his smile falters but he shrugs "well… anyway, they said yes."

"You're quite the music genius, aren't you?"

Blaine's smile is practically gone when he says "Yes, but it just… it takes a lot of time… and I… I just… wanted to…"

"Live a little?" Kurt suggests and Blaine nods with a little sad smile. A stretch of silence falls between them and then Kurt sighs and plops down on the bed "I was lured here under the pretense of Niki Minaj!"

Blaine laughs at once and nods "You are correct!" he says before he yanks open the bottom desk drawer and removes a stack of papers from the top to reveal a lengthy collection of CD's that include Niki Minaj, but also Katy Perry, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears Maroon 5, Pink, Wham, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, Coldplay, The Killers, Spice girls, Mika, Scissor Sisters…

"Wow, that's a lot of original CD's. Keeping food on their plates, are we?"

Blaine chuckles as he slips the CD into his stereo "Well, someone has to." He shrugs "I can only hope someone will do the same for me one day."

Kurt cocks an eyebrow, but the gesture is obviously lost on Blaine and as the music starts he refrains from asking, instead he laughs and watches as Blaine turns to his general direction and starts shimmying happily.

"Are you dancing?" Blaine asks with a big, challenging smile on his face "I don't think you're dancing!"

"Huh…"

"Is this about your reputation?" Blaine teases, spinning a little and using it to stand closer to where Kurt was sitting "Cuz you can forget about that here, no one can see you!" he winks and then laughs at his own joke, while Kurt gapes and blushes because for some reason he's actually almost offended on Blaine's behalf.

"This isn't going to work if you're not gonna dance!" Blaine insists, pouting and Jesus, Blaine's lips sparkle with moisture, and when he spins again Kurt has to wonder how he's never ever noticed that ass before… "The whole point was to get excited!"… Jesus.

"Oh I'm excited alright…" Kurt mutters, and Blaine turns to him, still smiling with a slight frown.

"What was that?"

"Watching you is exciting enough, thank you very much!" he says before he loses the nerve to, and he doesn't regret it because suddenly there's a halt in Blaine's movements and he blushes – actually, honest to god blushes a crimson red, smiles and ducks his head.

"Well… I… huh… now I can't dance, can I? I'm self-conscious."

Kurt chuckles "Trust me, you shouldn't be."

Blaine seems to blush some more, though how that's physically possible Kurt doesn't know, and bites his lips before saying "Please dance with me… Please…?"

Kurt looks between Blaine's pleading face and his outstretched hand and with a sigh he takes it and lets Blaine pull at it and guide him closer.

He puts his hands lightly on Blaine's waist, barely touching it, let alone holding it. With a grin Blaine lets his own hands fall on Kurt's shoulders and then throws his head back with laughter "Oh my god! You _are_ wearing a leather jacket!"

"What? Of course I am, what's the problem?"

"Kurt, it's like three hundred degrees out there!" Blaine teases, but starts to move again, slides one of his hands down to find Kurt's and pulling at it until Kurt's dancing too.

"So?!"

Blaine just shakes his head and turns around, leaving Kurt to dance on his own, while he goes off twirling and moving shoulders and hips and oh that ass, and all the while singing along, never missing a single word. Hardly believing this is actually happening Kurt rolls his shoulders and starts singing along too.

They rock out to four songs in a row before Kurt holds up a hand to Blaine's shoulder and sighs "I need a break!"

Blaine grins "It's from the smoking, you know…" but he does push the stop button on the stereo and silence comes back "Makes you tired too soon."

"Yes, yes…"

"Do you want a drink?"

"I wouldn't mind a beer." He shrugs and then Blaine turns to him with a sort of exasperated expression of 'really…?' so Kurt sighs and says "Coke's fine."

Blaine shoots him a smile "Alright, come on then!" and then he's off, practically skipping his way downstairs and Kurt wonders if it's safe. "You know you have a great voice!" he calls over his shoulder.

"So do you."

"We could sing together, some day." Blaine grins as Kurt enters the kitchen "I'm thinking of joining glee club. It'd be nice if you were there."

"I like my face slushy free, thanks." Kurt says "But let me know whenever you get a solo." He adds, to which Blaine beams.

The kitchen, like the rest of the house actually, is pristine. There's a collection of photos on one of the walls, one from each year since – apparently – Blaine was born, and so he features in each one, growing from baby, to toddler, to kid, to slightly awkward teenager, to now.

"Oh my god…!" Kurt gasps "Oh my god!"

"What?" Blaine frowns "Oh! The photos! I always forget about those!" Blaine sighs "Please, please ignore them! I'm sure they're embarrassing!"

"Ahaha!" Kurt inspects each one closer "Oh, such a cute baby with such a cute afro!"

Blaine groans.

"Is that what the gel is about?"

Blaine doesn't say anything as he screws the tap back on the Coke bottle and puts it back in the fridge.

"You wore braces!"

"Stop it!" Blaine whines, but there's a sort of embarrassed smile there.

"I'm sorry! I'm not making fun of you."

"Yes you are." Blaine says, handing him the glass.

"Just a little bit."

"It's not fair because I'll never get to make fun of your pictures!" He whines and Kurt stops dead on his track. The silence is thick and then Blaine sighs and laughs "Relax, I'm kidding."

"I'm… I…"

"You're gonna have to get used to blind jokes if this is gonna work." Blaine announces smirking as he leaves the kitchen, glass in hand.

"What's gonna work?" Kurt jogs after him. Blaine's already halfway up the stairs and only sends him a coy smile over his shoulders that makes Kurt's heart beat a little faster.

xXxXx

Blaine is reading a braille version of their mandatory English book, and Kurt has his own normal version open in front of him, but he's not reading much of it. Instead his eyes are glued to Blaine – Blaine's fingers on the paper, Blaine's tongue peeking out of his lips, sometimes running over them leaving a trail of moisture, Blaine's feet kicking behind him as he lies on his stomach in the middle of his bed… Blaine's cheeks getting flushed and Blaine's tiny little smile as he turns his face towards Kurt.

"You're staring…"

"What?" Kurt gasps "No, I'm not!"

"You are!"

"How would you know?" Kurt quirks an eyebrow and crosses his arms in defiance.

"You haven't turned a page in like twenty minutes." Blaine mumbles, blushing deeper. There's something about how shy he seems all of a sudden – after two weeks of several afternoons spent together in which Blaine's been increasingly cheeky and confident about flirting, the sudden bashfulness makes Kurt pretty sure something might actually happen today. It makes him excited. And then scared – because… he's never felt like he does about Blaine before, and he's not quite sure he knows what to do about it. He's not quite sure he knows how to be it for Blaine – the way he wants to be.

At school he never quite manages to shake off the feeling Blaine's disappointed in him whenever he only says crude, lewd things and avoids being seen with Blaine without it looking like he's just trying to get into his pants. Everyone else thinks Kurt's exploring a kink, Kurt tries to hide it's so much more. He doesn't want to hide it, he shouldn't, he wouldn't… but…

"Well, I can't help it if your ass looks entirely too fuc-"

"Don't." Blaine says with a stern look, but then shoots him a softer smile "Not here."

"I'm sorry…" Kurt sighs "I… You … I was just looking at you. You're – huh – you're beautiful."

"Oh." Blaine blinks, cheeks red and bites his lip.

"But I… Hum… I'm not… I know you… Huh, you deserve… huh – more, and I just…"

"Kurt…" Blaine interrupts, closing his book slowly and sitting up "I've never read the Catcher in the Rye. Would you read it to me?"

"Huh…"

"I… huh…" Blaine gets off the bed and plucks a book out of his bookcase – it's not braille. Blaine offers it towards Kurt, who takes it, still confused, and Blaine follows Kurt's fingers to wrap his own lightly around Kurt's wrist and pull gently at it "I asked my parents if we had it… I would really enjoy it if you'd-"

"Sure." Kurt finds himself muttering as he stands practically flush against Blaine, between desk chair and bed. Blaine's lips turn into a brilliant even if shy smile, and tugs him towards the bed until they're both sitting shoulder-to-shoulder against the headboard.

"Thank you…" Blaine whispers as Kurt flicks the book open.

He nods and clears his throat "Alright… So… The Catcher in the Rye, by J. . Chapter one. If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied an all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth."

Blaine chuckles and leans a little more into Kurt.

Kurt smiles to himself and continues. They're well into the book when the sound of a door opening downstairs yanks them out of it. Blaine lifts his head out of Kurt's shoulder and frowns "What time is it?"

Kurt looks at his cell "Seven…" just as downstairs a woman's voice calls "Blaine, sweetie, I'm home!"

"Damn…" Blaine mutters before turning to Kurt and shooting a hundred words a minute under his breath "I really don't want you to take this the wrong way but I need you not to be in a leather jacket and, and I suppose there's nothing we can do about the hair, but-" there are steps coming up the stairs "Oh god, fuck, just get off the bed!"

Kurt scrambles off the bed and sits back on the desk chair, scooting it over towards the desk, while Blaine flies towards the door and yanks it open "Mom!" he gasps and Kurt glances to get a glimpse of a well tailored midnight blue suit and pristine high heels from where Blaine's body isn't covering her.

"Blaine, hi, how was your day?"

"Fine, listen, huh, I, hmm, I have a friend over, and huh…"

Kurt takes a deep breath and decides to put Blaine out of his misery. He stands up and walks to his side "Hi, Kurt Hummel." He sees the way the woman's eyes – darker than Blaine's, but just as big – travel all the way up and down his body taking him in with only a hint of a sneer. Thinking Blaine will probably thank him he adds "Blaine here was cool enough to agree to tutoring me. I am kind of hopeless, but it's either try or flunking English, and my dad would be pis-mad if I didn't graduate on time."

"Oh!" She says with a tight smile, eyes lingering on Kurt's hair "Of course."

"We just got distracted with the time, I guess. Turns out books are kind of cool, huh…" Kurt says lightly "I'll just go now… Leave you two to catch up."

"Kurt…" Blaine says in a small voice as Kurt moves around the room collecting his jacket and school bag.

"I'll see you tomorrow in school, Blaine!" Kurt says cheerily "See you around, Mrs. A."

"See you, huh, Kurt."

He glances over one last time towards Blaine and doesn't miss the way his shoulders are sagging and he's frowning, hand gripping the book with white knuckles.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

"Why Anderson! Have you finally decided me screwing you would be a nice idea?" Kurt beams as Blaine approaches. Quinn and Santana laugh, next to him.

"I… hum… I need to talk to you, K-Hummel."

"Uhhh! In private?"

"Yes."

"Sounds promising…!" he teases, exchanging amused glances with the girls before putting a softer than probably advisable hand on Blaine's back and directing him away.

They stop in a secluded corner behind the bleachers – far enough so that the stoners won't eavesdrop.

"I wanted to apologize for… yesterday… My mom… she has… expectations and…" Blaine looses track of his words, frowning, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck.

"And guys with pink hair, ear piercings and leather jackets aren't exactly part of those…?" Kurt offers.

"Well, yeah, but I huh… I'm not like that and-"

"Blaine, of course I know you're not like that." Kurt says, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder "We've been hanging out for weeks practically every day, I'm pretty sure I would've noticed if you were an elitist snob."

"Yeah… I just…" Blaine sighs "I didn't want you to think I was embarrassed of you… I… I'm… I'm embarrassed of her – of them… when they behave like that and…"

"Hey, hey, hey! It's ok!" Kurt interrupts "I got that! I never once thought that. I know – I get enough stares walking down the street, and…"

"You shouldn't! You're a great person, and if people can't see past the clothes and the hair they're-"

"People…" Kurt shrugs "They're just people who're so caught up in their lives they can't possibly step outside of their own little box and understand that difference isn't necessarily bad. And besides… I chose to dress like this because… I… I was tired of… everything, and… if you look like you don't care what people think they will leave you alone… so, really, you have nothing to be sorry for."

Blaine gives him a tiny, hopeful smile.

Kurt shuffles a little closer "I really enjoyed yesterday, by the way…"

Blaine ducks his head and grins and nods "Me too…!" he sighs "I, huh, I really… I really loved just listening to your voice and… being with you."

Kurt's heartbeat is completely out of control as he lets his hand slide off Blaine's shoulder and find his hand "Would you… want to come over and…"

"Your place?" Blaine asks breathless. Kurt can tell Blaine somehow knows it's a big deal. Blaine seems to understand Kurt's never really invited anyone over – sure, Quinn, Santana, even Puck have been over, but mostly because they invited themselves, but… Kurt's home, where he gets to just be…, is kind of his sanctuary.

"Yeah… I… I just thought… it might be nice… not worrying about time and…"

"I'd love to…"

"Awesome…!"

Blaine breathes a laugh "Yeah…", his eyes are shining and he's just so gorgeous, Kurt can't help but stare in silence "I… huh… I should go – _we_ should go. We'll be late for class."

"Right… Of course… we can't have that." Kurt smirks and follows as Blaine reluctantly steps aside and away, towards the school building. Figuring he can't actually get to class on time, Kurt leans against a post and just watches Blaine with what is probably a stupid, lame grin on his face.

Blaine's quite a bit ahead of him and Kurt smirks and laughs to himself before calling out "Shit, man! I just _love _watching you leave!"

He sees when Blaine falters in his walk and glances back with a blush and tiny giggle and just shakes his head before continuing walking.

Blaine is almost reaching the front steps when it happens. Kurt's blood turns cold as he notices the group of jocks holding the cups of slushies, approaching Blaine. He pushes himself off the post at once and starts sprinting but he obviously doesn't even make it close to on time. He can't stop them from pushing him around with meaty, strong, clutching, menacing hands, from pushing him to the ground, Blaine falling on his back, nothing but the hard ground breaking his fall. He can't stop them from emptying at least ten cups of multicolored Slushie on him.

Blaine is sitting on the grass, drenched in ice-cold goo, gasping for air – actually, honest to god hyperventilating – while the group of guys leave, laughing manically. Kurt's seeing so much red he almost doesn't notice that the walking cane is gone from Blaine's hand and is instead flying from hand to hand.

"Blaine!" He gasps as he goes for the boy, who flinches at first but then turns towards the sound of Kurt's approaching steps.

"Kurt?!"

"Blaine! Are you – shit – Are you-" He can't think straight as he crouches next to a trembling Blaine, who just reaches out frantically for Kurt. He takes his hands at once and let's Blaine completely fold himself onto him, cold liquid and clothes be damned. "Fuck, I'm gonna kill them, I'm gonna fucking kill them, can you, I'll… Just wait here and I'll-"

"No, please, please, don't go, don't… please!" Blaine mumbles, holding onto Kurt like he's grasping to a lifeline "Stay with me, Kurt, please stay with me."

"I just… Of course, of course, I'll stay, Blaine! It's just… your walking cane…" Kurt mutters, thoughts flying around in his head too fast to make any sense.

"We'll stay with him." Quinn's voice interrupts and Kurt looks up to find her and Santana looking worriedly over them, Santana already crouching down, next to Blaine.

"Thank you!" Kurt says and starts to disentangle himself, but Blaine grips harder.

"No!" he whines "Please, I want you! Here! I need_ you_ here."

Kurt looks between Blaine and the girls until Santana stands with a deep sigh and says "We'll go kill them."

"Yeah!" Quinn nods "Stay here, we'll get his cane back."

"And make sure they'll never have kids, too." Santana adds and he looks at them both, grateful and regretting every time he ever felt like not being their friend again. Maybe they were just as scared as he was in this world. Maybe he could be honest with them.

He watches them run towards the school building before he turned his attention fully to Blaine, holding him closer. "Shhh… I'm here, I gotcha…"

"I'm sorry, I didn't… I'm sorry…" Blaine says after a while, his breathing a little closer to normal. Kurt maneuvers them into lying back on the ground; Blaine's head on Kurt's chest "I'm sorry I freaked out…"

"It's not your fault, Blaine…"

"I must look pathetic…" he says with a sniffle

"You don't." Kurt assured him "You never look pathetic, Blaine. They do, not you."

"I'm just… It's just… so scary. They… out of nowhere, and… the cane was gone, there was so much pushing, and… I didn't know… who… what… I… I lost… I didn't…, just felt so…"

"I know…" Kurt whispers, tightening his hold Blaine.

"And then the cold…" Blaine gasps "What was_ that_?"

"Slushies."

"Like the drinks?" Blaine frowns, horrified.

"Yeah… It's, huh, it's a McKinley High thing…"

"Oh my god…"

"I'll never let it happen to you again, Blaine." Kurt says after a long silence "I promise, they'll never touch you again."

Blaine shakes his head, tries to hold in his sobs as he sits up and tries to extricate himself from Kurt's arms "I… don't… I don't need to be saved. I'm not an invalid! I can take care of myself! I do! Don't just assume I nee-"

Kurt follows his movements, interrupting him with a gentle hand to his cheek, and gives him a fond smile, even if Blaine can't see it "There's nothing wrong with needing a little saving sometimes, Blaine."

"But I don't! I can take care of myself! I can!"

"You've been saving me everyday since we met." He adds, and Blaine turns his face up to him.

Kurt almost takes their silence, the way Blaine's eyes are practically on his, dancing from spot to spot nervously, as his cue to lean in and close the distance between them, kiss Blaine and try to make him forget all about the slushies and the shoving. But then Santana and Quinn are jogging up to them, Blaine's cane in Santana's hand.

"I got it!" Santana announces proudly, holding it up for show.

"Oh my god!" Quinn gasps, laughing as they reach them "you should have seen her! She kicked Tellman's balls so fucking hard…! He looked like he was going to die."

Santana grinned proudly "He cried like a little baby!"

Kurt shot them a grateful look.

"I'm still killing them tomorrow." He says, taking the cane from Santana and handing it carefully over to Blaine, who grips it tightly at once and after a deep sigh mutters "Thank you" in the girls' general direction.

"Are you ok?" Quinn asks softly, kneeling next to Blaine.

"I'm… I'm fine… I'm sorry I freaked out." He says.

"Pff, you're not the one who should be sorry." Santana says.

"Humm… right. Well… huh… thank you, really."

"It was nothing, don't sweat it. I like any excuse to kicks some balls." She shrugs "I know we've never really talked, but if Kurt's so in love with you, I'm sure you're dope."

Kurt feels his face on fire, and he really tries not to let his hands tighten around Blaine's arms, while Blaine just sits there with his mouth gaping.

Quinn breaks the silence with laughter and says "Come on, San… let's just leave them to make out or something."

"I wouldn't mind watching, though…" she says, but Quinn just sighs and takes her hand to drag her off back inside.

The two boys stay there in silence before Blaine finally chuckles feebly and turns toward Kurt "I feel kind of gross, do you think we could…"

"Right I'll walk you to your house." Kurt says standing up at once.

"No!"

Kurt frowns.

"I still… I…" Blaine frowns, bites his lip and ducks his head in frustration, and Kurt just wants him to smile again.

"Sure, my house it is, then…"

"I just… I don't want them to know."

"Who?"

"My parents."

"About us?"

Blaine blushes, probably at the thought of there being a collective pronoun for them "No." he mumbles "About this." He explains, wiping a hand through his slushy covered hair.

"Oh! I think they sh-"

"No!" Blaine pleads "They can't know, Kurt! They'll make me transfer schools, and then… I… please don't. You said you won't let it happen again, didn't you? So, what's the point of them knowing, anyway? It's just… giving my mom another reason to worry, and to think I can't… be on my own and… I just…"

"Ok." Kurt acquiesces "I won't tell."

"Thank you." Blaine breathes, stepping right into Kurt's space, and wrapping his arms around him, squeezing and then immediately pulling away with a gasp "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I just got it all over you, didn't I?"

Kurt just laughs "You already had, Blaine… It's fine, come on." He says, taking Blaine's hand and walking towards the school exit.

The walk to his place is mostly quiet – only interrupted whenever Kurt says "Careful there" and "Step." – but their hands never leave each other. It's the first thing Burt notices when the two teens step inside, Kurt whispering "Welcome to my humble abode" shyly.

"Kurt?" Burt stands from the couch and finally noticing the other boy's clothes drenched in red and purple and green.

"Oh! Dad, you're home!" Kurt startles but doesn't let go of the boy's hand "Hey! Huh… this is Blaine, he's a, huh, a friend."

"Hey…" Burt says slowly "I'm Burt, Kurt's dad." And extends a hand. Kurt looks a little nervously between the two before nudges Blaine a little and the boy immediately looks even more nervous – panicky really – and Kurt guides Blaine's hand towards Burt's, who finally notices the cane Blaine's holding.

"Pleasure to meet you, sir." Blaine mumbles, his cheeks a dark shade of red.

"You too. What happened to you kids?"

"Blaine… had… a bit of an encounter with some… guys who slushied him."

"Oh!" Burt says at once, remembering Kurt's freshman year, when he used to come home like that every two weeks – before the cigarettes, and the combat boots, the dyed hair and the leather jacket "Are you ok, kid?" he asks softly

"I'm… I'm fine, thank you." Blaine mumbles.

"We'll be downstairs…" Kurt says after a moment of tense silence "He needs a shower and…"

"Of course!" Burt nods "I, huh, I need to run an errand, I'll be back before dinner. Have fun – or, huh… yeah, well, see you soon." He mumbles, hurriedly grabbing his cap, keys and wallet and leaving.

Kurt looks confused after his dad.

"Do you think he hated me?" Blaine's small voice brings him back to reality.

"Don't be silly." Kurt laughs nervously "Come on, let's get you all cleaned up. You can use my bathroom… Careful with the steps…"

They reach Kurt's basement bedroom. Kurt walks Blaine into the bathroom, shows him where the shower is and the products and then awkwardly asks "Do you, huh, need any help… to…"

Blaine's shakes his head frantically, eyes wide and face red "No. no… just… a towel, and… clothes… I can…" he swallows nervously.

"Right." Kurt nods, taking a stack of clean towels out of the cupboard and putting them on the toilet seat, and then collecting a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and – with a blush – some boxers (because he saw one of the slushies being poured down his back), and took Blaine's hands to show him where everything was "I'll be right outside if you need anything. Don't… don't hesitate to ask, Blaine, really."

"It's fine, I can… I'll call if I need." He promises, and carefully pushes Kurt away, smiling softly.

Kurt closes the door quietly and then quickly changes his own clothes and sits on his bed, patiently waiting for Blaine, and trying not to think about the nakedness happening right now in his bathroom – the guy just god assaulted, for Christ's sake, the last thing he needs is Kurt picturing him naked. He notices Blaine's bag by the bedroom door and decides to distract himself wiping it with Kleenexes. It's a beautiful leather bag – it must've been expensive. Well, everything Blaine wears looks pretty expensive. No wonder Blaine's mom sneers at the thought of Kurt. He tries to remain unaffected by the thought. He's proud of his dad, and of their honest, modest life.

He's long finished by the time the door finally clicks open and Blaine emerges, smiling nervously as he holds wet towels in one hand and a pile of clothes in the other. His wet curls are falling into his forehead. The simple black t-shirt and jeans make him look amazingly hot, but they're not Blaine, and Kurt misses the bowties, regardless of how sexy this looks.

Kurt walks up to him and gently takes both piles off his hands, meaning to take it to the laundry room "Sit, I'll just go put these in the washer. Make yourself at home…"

"Humm… Kurt…?" Blaine says shyly, chuckling softly as he stands rooted to one spot and Kurt wants to slap himself.

"Fuck, right!" Kurt mumbles and then takes Blaine's hand and directs him towards the bed.

Blaine laughs a little as he sits "Thanks…"

"Yeah…" Kurt notices Blaine bag and directs his hand there "I cleaned your bag, if you need…" he trails off and then sighs "I'll be right back."

He pushes the clothes in the washer, his, Blaine's and the towels, and gets it working with trembling hands. Blaine's in his bedroom, they're alone in his house. And it shouldn't be any different from all the other times they were at Blaine's. But it is…

Because he knows neither of them want to wait anymore, because neither of them want to play coy anymore… because both of them have made themselves more than clear by now. And if Blaine has told him he was more than willing to ignore his parents' expectations, Kurt had decided to give up any remaining façade at school in the split second it took for them to cover Blaine in ice-cold beverages.

Of all the things in his life right now, there's none Kurt's more certain about than Blaine and how he feels about him.

So it's different – this time is different. Kurt almost feels like he's about to lose his virginity or something like that. Which is stupid because he knows they aren't going to have sex today – one day, probably, if he manages not to screw things up until then, but not today… – and also because he'd been less nervous when he actually did. This is important. This is Blaine. This is a boy that… means something. Means a lot to Kurt.

He walks downstairs to find Blaine sitting cross-legged on his bed, book in hand. Blaine looks up at the sound of footsteps and smiles "Read to me again…?"

"I did promise…" Kurt says, approaching. Blaine hands him the book, and his eyes follow the sound of Kurt's movements, until he's sitting against the headboard, like the day before, and pats the space next to him "Come…"

Blaine blushes and smiles, and instead of going carefully towards the sound of his voice, his hand reaches out towards Kurt, fingertips trailing denim-clad knees and continuing, hand brushing and barely touching but clearly feeling its way up Kurt's leg – Kurt just holds his breath and watches, lets Blaine's hands map out most of body, and then, with another coy smile, nudge Kurt's legs apart and move to settle there, his back against Kurt's stomach, and his head against his chest – his curls tickle the crook of Kurt's neck, but he never wants Blaine to move away so he says nothing, and instead lets Blaine find his free hand and wrap it around himself, their linked hands resting against Blaine's lower-stomach, right over his hip, and Kurt hooks his thumb over the belt loop there, bringing his legs higher and tighter around Blaine. He loves how Blaine's breath hitches and his free hand immediately finds a place at Kurt's knee.

Finally, he resumes reading where they left off the day before. If Blaine can feel the way his heart is speeding, it's probably a good thing – all he wants to be with Blaine is honest, always, forever.

"A little while later, I still had it with me when I and Brossard and Ackley got on the bus. The bus driver opened the doors and made me throw it out. I told him I wasn't going to chuck it at anybody, but he wouldn't believe me. People never believe you." He continues reading for a long time, choosing to struggle whenever turning a page rather than unclasping their hands. Feeling the way Blaine's hand on his knee will sometimes slide up and down his thigh, or squeeze, or trail light fingers over the back of his leg, almost makes Kurt shiver. Sometimes, when something is funny, he feels Blaine's silent chuckles as his shoulders shake a little against Kurt's chest – it's fantastic.

After a while Blaine closes his eyes, and leans his head back against Kurt's shoulder and Kurt stops reading but Blaine just squeezes his hand and whispers "I'm listening, keep going."

So Kurt does. He keeps reading through sentences and paragraphs. Even as Blaine's hand travels from his knee all the way down to the back of his thigh, fingers splayed and enough pressure to know he's _feeling_. He tries not let his voice shake or change "So I went through the shower curtains into his room, just to see what the hell he was doing. I hardly ever went over to his room. It always had a funny stink in it, because he was so crumby with his personal habits."

Blaine chuckles and shifts a little so his forehead is pressed against Kurt's neck, his hand coming to rest on Kurt's upper thigh instead and squeezing it lightly. Kurt sighs and smiles "Chapter seven. A tiny bit of light came through the shower curtains and through-" he stops and whimpers in surprise as Blaine's lips press against his jaw line. At once, Blaine's hand on his leg presses harder and he turns towards Kurt, pushing himself around and up to his knees, the other hand leaving Kurt's to find his face and cradle it. Kurt just watches mesmerized as Blaine closes his eyes with a small smile, leaning closer as his fingers trail the contours of Kurt's face, thumb carefully swiping at the corner of his lips, and finally Blaine dips down and presses their lips together. Kurt's eyes fall shut of their own accord, and he doesn't even think before he kisses back. His arms wrap around Blaine and pull him closer. Their lips are pliant against each other and Blaine sighs into the kiss as Kurt takes the chance to deepen their movements.

They part breathless and Blaine just trails small kisses all over Kurt's jawline and neck, making him sigh and gasp and come completely undone beneath him. "I'm crazy about you…!" Blaine mumbles into his skin before pressing an open mouthed kiss to the crook of Kurt's neck that sends shivers running down his spine

"Oh my god, Blaine!" he sighs, hands tightening against Blaine's back and well aware of how close to his crotch Blaine's hand still is, grasping his upper thigh, leaning on it for balance, Kurt never wants it to move away "Holy shit!"

Blaine finds his mouth again before pulling back "I've never felt like this for anyone, Kurt, I…"

"Me too, Blaine, I'm just… you just… you're so fucking amazing, Blaine."

Blaine grins his shoulders sagging in what looks like relief, and he rests his forehead against Kurt's shoulder. He takes Kurt's hand and entwines their fingers together before pressing them against his chest. Kurt can feel Blaine's heartbeat, just as nervous as his own, and smiles.

"I like it when people get excited about things. It's nice." Blaine mutters, almost a question.

Kurt can feel his face straining, trying to smile even wider than it's possible. So he takes their hands to his own heart, lets Blaine feel it, sees the grin splitting Blaine's face and the way he hangs his head with silent laughter. He takes Blaine's hand and kisses each fingertip before pressing his lips to the palm, to the wrist "I am, Blaine…" he says between kisses "I've never been this excited about anything in my life." He promises "Except maybe Wicked when I was fourteen."

Blaine's beaming, and giggling and sighing as Kurt trails kisses all the way up his arm, and with a smirk he steals a kiss from Blaine's lips, making Blaine startle and yelp, and giving Kurt the perfect opportunity to flip their positions, making sure Blaine feels Kurt's whole body hovering over his.

Their breathing is heavy. Blaine's hands come up to map out Kurt's stomach, chest and shoulders "…Kurt…"

Kurt leans down and trails open-mouthed kisses over Blaine's neck, loving the way Blaine squirms and whimpers, clutching tight to Kurt's clothes.

Music suddenly fills the air and Blaine groans and pushes gently against Kurt "That would be my mom." He sits and easily finds his bag, reaching within it and taking out his cell "Hey mo-What? No! How did- Mom, wait, calm down. I'm fine! I'm with Kurt, and he helpe- Mom!"

Kurt tries not to panic and squeezes Blaine's leg hoping he'll understand the unvoiced question but Blaine just continues spluttering in vain attempts to interrupt his mother and calm her down. Kurt can practically hear every word she says and it definitely doesn't sound very good.

"Mom, I'm fine!" he insists and then his face goes pale and he just shakes his head and says "NO! I'm not transferring to Dalton! I'm not! I swear to you – I'm-" Blaine's hand searches frantically for Kurt's and when it finds it, he holds on fiercely "I told you, I don't, mom, NO! I'm making friends at McKinley! I'm happy there, and… I don't want to play pretend –MOM, I swear to god, if you put me in Dalton I will do my very best to flunk out and get expelled, I will, I don't care about college applications and Julliard!"

Just then the front door closes, and Kurt hears Burt's voice calling for them.

"Downstairs!" he calls back, while Blaine listens intently to his mother, biting his lips and looking flushed with frustration.

Burt appears at the top of the stairs "You principal is an asshole and an incompetent! I cannot believe he is running that school. But I told him, oh, I told him good."

"Dad?!" Kurt gasps, pieces clicking together "What have you done?"

"I just-"

"Please mom! I'll be miserable there!" Blaine pleads, interrupting them both and Burt turns to look and frown "I won- I hav- I have friends! They can look out for me – I… it was one time, mom! I… I can't go back to that, mom, I can't… I have a life in this school, I like that, I… just… Mom, FUCK, LISTEN TO ME!"

xXxXx

"Is it true?" Blaine asks as soon as Kurt's within ten feet of him.

"Freaky…" Kurt tells him with a nervous chuckle.

"I could smell you from a mile, idiot." Blaine says, smiling and getting up from the picnic table he was sitting at. The same where they'd met.

"Hey, I quit smoking!"

"I wasn't saying it was a bad smell." Blaine teases before scowling again "Is it true?"

"What is?"

"The fight."

"Oh." Kurt says, hand immediately flying up to his bruised cheek "Maybe."

"Kurt!" Blaine chastises "Dammit, I told you not to!"

"I'm a free spirit! A fucking stallion, I can't be tamed!" Kurt shrugs nonchalantly.

"You're an idiot. You could've gotten hurt. For what? It's not gonna make them any smarter and it won't turn back time and make yesterday not happen."

"I don't want yesterday not to happen." Kurt says at once and Blaine smiles.

"Me neither…" he says, voice softer "And besides," he continues, trying not to look won over "I don't need you defending my honor, or… whatever. I'm a big boy, Kurt, I can fight my own battles…" he says and then adds with a sigh, already guessing Kurt's quirked eyebrow "metaphorically speaking."

"Right, well, I'm just not as intellectually evolved as you are, babe. And if it makes you feel any better they called me a faggot. They hadn't done that to my face since sophomore year."

"Oh."

There's a stretch of silence.

"Do you think I could learn to be like Daredevil?" Blaine says with an amused smile.

Kurt throws his head back with laughter and presses a surprise kiss to the corner of Blaine's mouth "I think you should leave that idea for the bedroom." He smirked, making Blaine blush and duck his face.

"How did it go with your parents?" Kurt asks.

"Oh…" Blaine's smile falls a little "If anything else happens they'll make me transfer."

"I can definitely help with that! Nobody will ever touch you again, I promise."

Blaine smirks coyly, reaching out to take Kurt's hand "I don't know, I quite like touching…" Kurt's heart skips a beat, as Blaine kisses his hand intently before wrapping his arms around Kurt "Let's just make sure nothing bad happens to me, ever again..." Blaine says with a shrug and a small smile.

"I'm pretty sure your parents would qualify me as bad, babe."

"They want to meet you."

"What?!"

"Officially, I mean. They want you to come over for dinner." Blaine tightens their hug "And I'm sure once they get to know you, it'll be fine."

"I…" Kurt takes a deep breath. It's important for Blaine. Blaine's important for him. "When?"

"You'll come?" Blaine gasps.

"Do you want me to?"

"Yes…" Blaine says shyly.

"Then yes."

"I'll… I'll talk to them and… maybe not so soon, I don't, they're being paranoid and silly, so… anyway how about the end of the month? We could go out afterwards… There's a band playing in Westerville, on the twenty eight, I'd really like to go, and..."

"Ok." Kurt said, shutting his nervous ramble up with a kiss "just make it happen and I'll be there, I promise."

"You know you make a lot of promises." Blaine says softly.

"Sometimes I keep them, too, babe." He chuckles and Blaine laughs and wraps his arms tighter around Kurt. They kiss and Blaine breaks away with jerk. "What was that?"

"Just a shiver…" Blaine mumbles, scratching the back of his neck.

"Oh, here…" Kurt strips his jacket and throws it over Blaine's shoulder "have my jacket."

"Oh… I'm not co-Ok…" He smiles, blushing a little as he slips his arms through the sleeves and wraps it closely around himself.

"Better?"

Blaine pulls the collar up, buries his nose in it and inhales deeply "Mm, yeah. Definitely."

Kurt beams wrapping an arm around Blaine's waist "I like the look on you, babe."

"What, the bad boy look?" Blaine smirks, pretending to chew gum loudly.

With a laugh Kurt squeezes him a little closer "No!" he teases "My boyfriend look."

"Oh…" Blaine gasps, blushing "I am your boyfriend."

"You are."

"You are my boyfriend."

"I am."

"And I'm wearing my boyfriend's leather jacket."

"You are."

Blaine beams and stretches to his tiptoe, adorably puckering his lips and making it completely impossible for Kurt not to take the offer. They smile into the kiss, and Kurt wraps his arms tightly around Blaine pulling him flush. Blaine hums happily into it and his hands slide easily over Kurt's shoulders to wrap around his neck.

"Thanks for everything…" Blaine mutters softly as they pull apart "I just… really. Thanks, babe."

"No."

"What?" Blaine frowns.

"You can't call me babe!"

"You call me babe all the time."

"Exactly! Besides, it'll ruin my street cred."

"You have no street cred." Blaine scoffs, clearly teasing.

"Because I'm dating you, nerd-o."

"Shut up. So what - if I can't call you babe, what am I supposed to call you?"

"My name." Kurt offers with a smirk.

"No fair. I get to give you a pet name, too! Do you prefer stweetums or Kurtie?" He offers with a self-indulgent smile.

"Call me… sex god of paradise. That works for me."

"You're a shithead."

"Blaine! You cursed!" Kurt gasps with half a laugh and Blaine pretends to be equally shocked and disappointed at himself.

"You're a poop-head." He corrects himself before dissolving into giggles "Yes! It's decided! I'm calling you poop-head. I like it. It fits you."

"If you call me that, I'm calling you idiot."

Blaine gasps and laughs in outrage "That's not even on the same level, poop-head! Mine's adorable, yours is just mean!"

"Oh my god!" A voice interrupts just before Kurt can actually lift Blaine off his feet "You guys are so _dumb_!"

"Uhh!" Blaine gasps, jumping a little and clapping his hands excitedly "What if I called you dumb-dumb?!"

"Poop-head it is." Kurt says at once, causing Blaine to laugh loudly and maliciously. His evil cackle is surprisingly… evil.

Kurt sighs as he turns to give Santana a quirked eyebrow.

"So it's true. You're a thing now? Oh, Anderson, you did not really let Hummel here into your pants, did you? I had money riding on you!"

Kurt gives her a look while, next to him, Blaine just laughs some more and shrugs "No. He hasn't gotten into my pants, yet. Does that help _your _entrepreneur side?"

"What?!" Quinn gasps.

"Oh come on, Q, don't even pretend you're surprised about this, so start paying up what you owe me. Ten bucks if I recall correctly." Santana drawls "Hummel, you're not as good of an actor as you think you are. Everybody knows you got it bad for Blainers, here."

Blaine chuckles and wraps his arms around Kurt's waist, squeezing slightly "Is that so?"

"Oh come on!" Santana rolls her eyes "No offense kid, but no one's going to go out of their way for the blind kid for so long without it actually meaning something more."

"None taken." Blaine says with an amused smile.

"I just thought he would've actually achieved something by now… You failed me poop-head, you really did." Quinn says as she pulls out her wallet and hands Santana ten bucks "Listen, Kurt," she continues, stepping closer and putting a hand on his shoulder "We're not going to kick you out of the Skanks because you got a boyfriend. Even if he's a complete nerd. It's fine."

While Kurt just sputters Blaine laughs.

"Plus, Anderson is kind of cool." Santana adds with a smirk and Kurt sighs with a roll of his eyes.

"I know that!" he says indignantly.

"You do?!" Blaine coos teasingly "Oh poop-head!"

"Shut up!"

Blaine chuckles, snickering as he steps away and starts towards the school building "Class starts soon." He says warningly "I would love for you to be there on time."

"Don't hold your breath, _babe_." Kurt smirks.

"He will be." Quinn interrupts, and Kurt turns to gasp at her, but she ignores him and just says "Go on ahead, Blaine. We need a word with Hummel."

Blaine frowns and gives them a bemused smile before nodding and leaving, shaking his head to himself.

"What the hell was that about?" Kurt frowns immediately.

"Kurt. I – We've noticed how you've been lately… since you met Blaine. You're so much happier, and… I don't know, you look more alive. And I think it took that to notice how not-alive you were for the past months… or year… or whatever. I remember you freshman year. And yes, you were miserable because of the bullying, but… you had dreams, you wanted things."

"You should want things, Kurt." Santana says softly, hand on his shoulder "we all should. But… we just… we wanted to tell you that we get it. That you're not… I don't know… we just, we think you should make something out of your life, Kurt."

He smiles at them "I quit smoking."

"We noticed."

"You know," he sighs "What you just said… you should, too. High school isn't going to last forever and we're all better than dead end jobs in Lima."

"Ok." Santana says resolutely "Pact time! No matter what, by the end of senior year we will have a plan for our lives, and we will know what to do next! No more wasting our time smoking behind bleachers."

They share loving smiles and put their hands together in the middle. "It's a deal!" they announce together.

"Oh!" Quinn adds "Also,… I'm with Puckerman again… it's… it's serious. We're together. Exclusively. I think… I think I could be really happy with him." She smiles shyly, and Kurt and Santana laugh and hug her before starting a relentless string of teasing words.

xXxXx

In the end Blaine is the first one to have dinner at the "in-laws". Burt comes home early one Friday and finds them curled up on the couch – Blaine was entertaining Kurt with fun facts about famous composers – and proceeds to insist Blaine stay over for dinner.

Kurt catches his dad peeking through the door into the kitchen as he makes dinner and Blaine sits happily on the kitchen counter, animatedly talking about glee club and Rachel Berry, making fun of her and forcing Kurt to promise he'll never tell her what he said.

When dinner is ready Kurt directs Blaine to sit at the table, kisses the top of his head and sits next to him. Burt stands and takes Blaine's plate, starting to pile food into it. "Say when!" he says happily as he serves spoonfuls of mashed potatoes.

"Huh…" Blaine blushes.

"Dad!" Kurt hisses while Blaine just bursts out laughing.

"What? OH!" Burt gasps, turning bright red at once "I'm sorry, Blaine!" he stutters "I just! I forget sometimes!"

Blaine nods, still chuckling "That's ok, Mr. Hummel. Generally speaking, I like it when people forget."

"Right. Well, it's Burt." The older man says as he puts Blaine's full plate down in front of him.

"Oh! Thanks, hmm, Burt." Blaine mutters.

"No problem. You know, kid, I think I like you."

"M-me?" Blaine gasps, his amusement long gone, but his face just as red.

"Of course." Burt shrugs, sitting down with his own plate and leaving Kurt to serve himself "Kurt thinks I didn't know he smoked. Of course I knew." Burt rolls his eyes and ignores the glare Kurt's giving him "I suppose I have you to thank for him quitting…?"

"I… huh… I may have hinted at it, but I didn't… I never…"

"You inspired him to quit." Burt clarifies with a smirk.

"Dad!"

"Am I embarrassing you, Kurt?" Burt teases "Am I embarrassing you in front of your boyfriend?" he laughs and Kurt just glares and turns to his side to find Blaine hiding his own smile behind the glass of water.

"Yes, dad, you are." Kurt says harshly.

"In fairness," Blaine pipes with a soft voice "You made fun of me when you were looking at the pictures. The least you could do is let me enjoy your dad teasing you."

Kurt gapes at him, "You're evil. That's emotional blackmail, Blaine."

Blaine just grins and turns towards Burt "So now that we've established the need to even the score, do continue, Burt." He prompts before taking a forkful to his mouth.

Burt laughs heartily "Did Kurt ever tell you about the tea parties he used to organize when he was five?"

Blaine's eyebrows shoot up and he's face breaks into a beam "Did he, now?"

Kurt wants to stop it. He really, really does. He wants to cello-tape his dad's mouth shut and kick Blaine's shins until he stops asking follow-up questions to Burt's anecdotes. But the thing is… Burt and Blaine are… amused, and smiling, and having a good time and at some point Blaine turns to him, cheeks flushed from laughter and puts a hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently, and moving it to cup the back of Kurt's neck, scratching the nape of his hair soothingly and says "It sounds like you were adorable, poop-head."

"Watch it!"

Blaine just snorts, turning back to his plate, while Burt marvels at the pet name and gasps "Who are you and what is that strange power you hold over my son?!" While Blaine grins, and Kurt ignores the burning on his cheeks, shooting daggers at his dad, Burt continues to smirk smugly "Can I call you poop-head too, or is that reserved to handsome, charming boys?"

Blaine chokes on his water.

"Reserved." Kurt mutters through clenched teeth as he stuffs food into his mouth.

While Burt can't contain his laugh, Blaine's hand finds Kurt's leg under the table and lays there, soothing. The teasing doesn't stop, but Blaine's hand doesn't leave either.

Later, when Kurt drives Blaine home the radio is suddenly turned off and a soft hand fumbles until it finds his hair, fingers carding calmingly through "I'm sorry, poop-head."

"What for?"

"For teasing you, and getting your dad to do it, too."

"_He_ got _you _to do it."

"I would've stopped, you know, if you really wanted me to. I would. I didn't mean to upset you or anything."

"You didn't." Kurt assures him "I don't care about it. It's fine."

"Really? Are you sure?"

"Blaine. You were happy – you were _both _happy. I could care less if you laughing about me. I just cared that you were laughing."

"Ohh! Kurt…!" Blaine gasps, and Kurt loves the way his voice is suddenly thick with emotion, but chooses not to comment on it "I really, really want to kiss you right now, Kurt."

"You can if you stop calling me poop-head." Kurt says, appropriately stopping at a red light.

Blaine chuckles, looking fantastically beautiful as he reaches to cradle Kurt's chin gently and mutters "Never gonna happen, poop-head."

Kurt can't stop himself from kissing Blaine's fingertips.

xXxXx

He's wearing an actual white, clean, ironed shirt, with a nice plaid jacket over it (it's getting chilly now), and actual wholesome jeans, with an honest-to-god leather belt and a normal, discreet buckle. Even the shoes are actual normal shoes. He brushed his hair, and only kept two earrings on.

With a deep breath he rings the bell.

Blaine's mom opens the door. Her eyes seem to fly a little out of their sockets as she eyes him over "Hello, Kurt."

"Hey, Mrs. Anderson, thank you for having me over." he says as he holds a bouquet of flowers to her.

She blinks and takes the flowers "You're welcome, and thank you."

A man steps into the hallway, scrutinizes Kurt with his eyes and then says "Come on inside, I'm John."

Kurt nods and steps forward after wiping his shoes on the mat, just as Blaine trails in after his dad, smiling softly "Kurt Hummel, sir, pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise." The older man says taking Kurt's offered hand. He's not particularly tall (still taller than Blaine, though) and he's handsome and looks a tiny bit like Blaine, even through the obviously greying hair and the lines deepening on his forehead and under his eyes. They're small, but the exact same color as Blaine's and just as warm. Immediately Kurt feels a little better.

"Blaine, hi!"

"Hi!" Blaine beams, though he's swinging on the balls of his feet, clearly nervous "Do I smell flowers?" he says following the scent to his mother's bouquet and running soft fingers through the petals.

"Yes, you do." Kurt says, taking his hand and guiding it "Those are you mother's, though, these are yours." He wraps Blaine's fingers around a smaller bouquet of red and yellow roses.

"Oh Kurt!" he gasps, smile lighting up the room "You didn't have to!"

"I, huh, I wanted to." He says, avoiding the urge to run a hand through his hair or check for Blaine's parents reactions "I thought you might li-"

"Right!" Blaine's mother cuts in "I'll go find the water for these" she says, before taking both bouquets and leaving.

Blaine comes to stand next to Kurt and take his hand and Kurt sees the way his father's eyes follow the movement but immediately return to Kurt's face "Shall we go inside, have some appetizers? Dinner should be ready soon."

Kurt nods and wordlessly follows the man into a drawing room with a few appetizers. Mr. Anderson sits on one couch while Kurt and Blaine take the other. He waits until both of them have eaten before he takes a napkin and tries it. Mrs. Anderson enters the room and carefully sits herself next to her husband.

"You have a lovely home." Kurt says, and Blaine immediately squeezes his hand. Kurt can see him trying to keep down a chuckle.

"Thank you." Mrs. Anderson says politely, but the posture is cold, and he could swear she keeps looking at his hair instead of his eyes.

"So Kurt!" Mr. Anderson starts conversationally, shooting his wife a look "Blaine tells us you live with your dad?"

"Yes." Kurt nods. And then when the silence stretches and they just look at him, expecting him to continue he nearly chokes trying to come up with a word "Right, yes, I do… It's just – just the two of us, ever since mom died."

"I'm sorry." They both say at the same time.

"It's fine. It was a long time ago."

"You must miss her." Mrs. Anderson says, almost sweetly.

"I do…" Kurt nods, wishing they'd change subjects "But we get by, the two of us, and we're happy. I'm happy."

"That's good." She says.

Another silence. "And what does your father do?"

"Oh, he's, huh, he's a mechanic. He owns his own shop, though. It's the best in town, if you have any car trouble." Kurt smiles awkwardly.

"I'll be sure to remember that." Mr. Anderson says with a smile as he pours himself a drink, and boy, would Kurt kill for one too.

A middle aged woman appears at the door "Dinner's served."

Kurt's pretty sure his mouth is hanging open, and he's pretty sure he can't make it close. But Blaine has a house cook. How did he not know this before?

"It's just for weekends." Blaine whispers to Kurt's year, as if reading his mind.

"Thank you, Celina." Mrs. Anderson says lightly "Shall we?"

They move to the dining room, and the table is set with all those forks and knives and Kurt's palms are sweating and he's within an inch of hyperventilating.

He sits next to Blaine again.

"So, Kurt, tell me, what do you want to do after high school?"

Kurt can feel his heart hammering out his chest, and it only eases a little when Blaine's hand come to rest on his knee and squeezes it slightly "I haven't exactly decided yet. I was… I've always kind of assumed I'd take over the garage… but… it's not exactly… what I want to do with my life."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"Humm… I'm just… Maybe writing? I've been thinking about applying to some colleges and looking into an English Lit major, or..." he shrugs, sees the disbelief in Blaine's mom's face and tries his best to ignore it "When I was fourteen I wanted to go into fashion, but… well-"

"Fashion?" The quirked eyebrow and slight sneer irks him a little.

"Well yes, but again, I've lost it a little, bit. I might still look into it, though. I haven't really ever stopped designing, I just don't do it as much."

"Right. Writing and designing… those are some… risky choices."

Kurt returns her acid smile and says "Yes, much like music." He takes Blaine's hand over the table, looks over to find him smiling softly "But he's great though."

"He practices a lot." Mrs. Anderson says. It sounds like another accusation. Kurt dismisses it.

"I know. And he has an amazing voice, too."

"Have you ever heard him_ play_? The violin, I mean."

"I haven't had the chance, no. We've never… Only piano."

"Oh, you simply must!" she says.

"After dinner you could play us a little something, Blaine?" Mr. Anderson says, looking pointedly at his wife who just smiles back.

"Sure. But you know we have to leave by eight thirty."

"And be back by two o'clock." Mrs. Anderson adds sternly.

"Of course."

"So Blaine," Mr. Anderson saying, his hand actually landing on his wife shoulder and Kurt thinks he can actually see it squeezing "How did that essay come along?"

"Great!" Blaine beamed "I think I'll definitely get an A on it, thanks for the help dad. And I've been meaning to ask you, actually,…"

Kurt manages to breathe after that. Blaine holds his hand while making sure the conversation doesn't go back to Kurt, or at least not like that. It helps him not feel like he's suffocating under the pressure of not being _good enough_.

"Dinner's delicious, Mrs. Anderson." He says when there's a lull in the conversation.

"Thank you." She says politely.

"We'll be sure to pass that along to Celina." Blaine says with a smirk and Kurt practically snorts water out of his nose.

"Blaine!" His mother scowls.

"Mom!" he shoots back, mimicking her outrage with a chuckle.

"Everybody knows that you can barely make an omelet, sweetie." Mr. Anderson teases.

"You like my meatloaf!" she says defensively.

"We _eat_ your meatloaf." Blaine corrects just as teasingly as his dad.

"We have visitors." She warns haughtily.

Blaine and his father just laugh in response, while Celina brings over cheesecake for dessert.

"By the way, Kurt, I've been meaning to mention it." Mr. Anderson starts "If you could, hum, send your regards to your father, for, you know, talking to Principal Figgins about what happened, we'd appreciate it."

"Oh…"

"Is he a scotch kind of man, or red wine?"

"Hum… beer. He drinks beer. But… There's no need to-"

"We wanted to repay-"

"Nothing to repay," Kurt says, noticing too late that he interrupted. He blushes and clears his throat "He was just worried about Blaine, and… well, I guess it'd been a while since he saw a slushy victim, I mean… I haven't taken one in two years, so…"

"You've taken slushies?" Blaine gasps.

"All freshman year. Before I… huh, managed to…"

"Get off their radars through leather jackets?" Mr. Anderson offered with a knowing smile.

Kurt sighs in relief and nods "Yes, well, I… But anyways, like I was saying, it's been a while since my dad had contact with bullying in his house, and he got worried."

"Sounds like a good man."

"He is. Thank you."

"So, please pass along our thanks." Mrs. Anderson smiles, and for the first time it looks real "It's nice to know someone looks out for Blaine."

"I look out for Blaine." Kurt finds himself saying, not in a defensive tone – just letting them know.

"You huh…"

"I mean, I…"

"He means he won't let it happen again, that's what it means. Or my friends." Blaine takes his hand and squeezes "I told you mom, I'm happy there, I have people there. I have Kurt."

Kurt feels his cheeks burning but he still turns to find their faces looking at him, and he gives his best shot at smiling. It surprises him when they smile back.

"We're not that much of snobs…!" Mrs. Anderson rolls her eyes at Kurt's surprise "I know I'm… not all that welcoming, and I really don't like the leather jacket, or the pink hair… but if Blaine says you make him happy, and you look at him the way you do… I really… I just. I'm sorry if I sound like an elitist snob, but that's my sweet baby boy you're dating, so…"

"Mom!"

"I'm, huh…" Kurt stutters, frowning and looking at his plate as he tries to find his words "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to say here… I… do you want a big speech about how he changed my life just by being himself? Or the way he inspires me to… live life? To be excited about it? Or something more about him? How all I want to do is make him smile, or laugh, or blush, or all three of them together, because the entire world is beautiful when that happens… Is that something I should say?" Kurt runs a nervous hand through his hair "because that's what this is about for me. But if you're just going to just see the leather and the hair and… not the fact that I'm here, in a stupid shirt and the only pair of jeans I own that aren't ripped and-"

"Kurt!"

There's a long stretch of the most awkward silence in Kurt's life, until Blaine's father finally clears his throat and says "So, how about that piece, Blaine?"

"Hum?"

"The violin... go get it."

"Oh right." Blaine nods and scrambles off the table.

"Shall we move to the drawing room?" the man suggests with an ill-concealed smile.

Kurt nods silently, and takes the folded napkin out of his lap before following them back into the small room and sitting carefully on the couch.

Blaine returns soon after, violin in hand and clears his throat before getting into position.

"Go ahead, sweetie." His mother says, already leaning into the sight of her son playing, delighted smile on her face.

He starts and Kurt is mesmerized. It's amazing. Blaine is amazing. He's never seen or heard anything like that. Not that he listens to a lot of classical music, but the way it flows out of that instrument is unreal. And the way Blaine's fingers move through it with practiced ease and vigorous energy… He handles the arch like an extension of his arm, it's magical.

Once he finishes Kurt stands up to clap.

"Holy sh-oot, that's amazing! You're amazing! I can't! Wow! Just wow!"

Blaine beams and blushes.

"He has a recital on _Thanksgiving_, in Columbus!" Mrs. Anderson announces proudly "And I think you'll be great, sweetie. That was beautiful."

"Thanks. Ms. Steele says so, too." He smiles and then turns to Kurt "So, we should go."

"Hum… I , huh, I guess so."

"Let me just go put this away and get my jacket."

Once again Kurt finds himself trying not to meet Mrs. Anderson eyes. It's weird. He expected Mr. Anderson to be the truly intimidating one.

As soon as Blaine's steps down the stairs stop sounding, Mr. Anderson stands and stretches an arm towards the door "We'll walk you out."

Kurt nods and smiles, before walking towards the entrance hall and waiting by the door.

"Well, it was nice having you over."

"Yeah, it was great. Dinner was fantastic, thank you so much for having me over." He says just as Blaine reaches them and offers a hand out to Kurt who instinctively takes it.

"Well, we'll be sure to have you over again some other time, maybe your dad could come too."

"Hum, yeah, sounds nice. I'll tell him."

"You do that."

"I will."

"Right, so, drive safe, and have fun, and make sure you're back before curfew." Mrs. Anderson says as she opens the door.

"We will" both boys say, and Blaine turns his cheek already expecting his mother to kiss it "See you later, guys."

As soon as the door closes behind them Kurt breaks into a sigh.

"I'm sorry for the awkwardness." Blaine says impishly.

Kurt laughs "It wasn't your fault."

"They're really not that bad, once you get to know them… and if they invited you over again, I mean… That's a good sign, right?"

"Yeah… I guess." Kurt says opening the car door "Hop in."

"And you did good." Blaine adds once Kurt's inside too.

"I did?" he asks with a snort "Did you hear the part where your mom practically said I wasn't good enough for you?"

"I also heard the part where you said my laughter makes the world beautiful, poop-head." Blaine teases, and then reaches out to touch Kurt's leg "And the part where you said you might want to write? That's new to me… Wanna tell me about that?"

Kurt glances over to find Blaine's soft, searching smile. With a deep breath he tells him about the ideas, the thoughts running in his head, that he feels the need to put to paper. Tells him he recently started a journal, and he thinks he might actually be good, the short stories he drabbles out sometimes, late at night. Tells him he actually likes sitting down to write, even more than sitting down to read. Something about making his thoughts immortal makes Kurt… excited. Like he needs to make sure they're good. It's a challenge, and he likes being challenged again.

"That's amazing…" Blaine beams as Kurt finally stops talking "Poop-head." He adds with a smirk.

Kurt sighs audibly "We're here, idiot." He says, stopping the car and pulling the hand break.

They go inside and the place is small and crowded, and they get a corner seat, so they spend most of the night kissing, and touching each other, exchanging tender whispers every once in a while. "You'll show me something you wrote?"

"I… it's not ready…"

"When it is…?"

"Of course."

"Thank you."

Later in the car, they pull over half way – they've got time to spare and Blaine insists, climbing over to the backseat and pulling Kurt on top of him. It doesn't take much before Kurt's panting and asking for a time out because the sounds Blaine makes send his blood rushing south at record breaking speed, but Blaine shakes his head and holds him closer "Stay with me, please, I want you to… I want to…" He pulls Kurt's hips down to meet his, and Kurt moans "Please, Kurt?"

"And you're… you're ready? I don't- I can wait… Blaine, I won't…"

"Kurt, I'm ready. Unless you're not…"

"I am… But- it's a car-"

"Kurt, I just… I just want this, ok?" he says, making Kurt's groin rub against his, layers of clothes between them, but still fantastic "_Just_ this! Say yes."

"Yes, yes, yes…!" he gasps connecting their hips, so Blaine throws his head back and grips his flesh harder.

Kurt buries his face in Blaine's neck and kisses it between pants, mouth hot and wet. He feels as Blaine's hands can't exactly stop in one place for more than two seconds, grabbing and then releasing and grabbing again. His legs entwining with Kurt's frantically he presses his hips up against, hard and desperate.

"Oh my god, oh my god…" Blaine's muttering right next to Kurt's ear.

"If you need me to stop…" Kurt manages between kisses "Just say so."

"No!" He breathes, and then half laughs, settling a hand on Kurt's ass and pushing it down "Don't you dare stop." Kurt laughs back and complies, reaching to lock lips with Blaine, loving the way they're both breathing into each other's mouths.

He slips his hand underneath Blaine's shirt, palm and fingers stretching over, smooth hot skin, feeling Blaine's convulsing muscles as he makes his way to rub his nipple, making him arch his back and keen.

"Kuuurt." Blaine sighs, hooking a leg over Kurt's hips, digging his heel into his thigh.

"Are you close?" Kurt breathes, licking and sucking on Blaine's ear lobe, and making him buck frantically, and feeling himself ridiculously close too – every single noise coming out of Blaine's mouth making the heat in his belly boil harder.

"God-yeah-yes!" Blaine holds Kurt closer to him, arms wrapping in a desperate embrace.

Kurt kisses his neck deeply and thoroughly, unbuttoning the top few buttons of his shirt and making sure he only leaves a mark below the shirt collar. "I want you to come, babe…"

Blaine whines desperately and only tightens his hold on Kurt, nodding frantically and speeding up the movements of his hips urgently. Kurt slides his teeth up and down his exposed throat, and moves a hand down, between them, gently cupping Blaine through his pants, and squeezing – the single thought of it almost, _almost _tipping him over the edge.

"KURT! Oh my-oh-fuck-_Kurt_!"

He feels Blaine's entire body tense beneath him, his hands gripping Kurt so hard it almost hurts and his face bury in his shoulder. Kurt barely even needs another thrust before he feels pleasure and release flooding over his whole body, and he gasps right into Blaine's ear "Blaine!"

He collapses on top of Blaine, closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of cinnamon, hair gel and clean clothes, whose hold on Kurt is already loosening, become less needy and more gentle. A hand comes to card fingers through pink hair and Kurt feels Blaine's head twisting so his lips are pressed to his temple. "That was good." Blaine whispers.

"Good?" Kurt quirks an eyebrow, but doesn't move "It was fucking great."

Blaine's body shakes with silent laughter beneath him "You're right. I'm sorry. I was just trying to save the best adjectives for whatever comes next…"

"Ohhh…." Kurt smiles and moves a hand to squeeze Blaine's thigh teasingly, making the other boy laugh again.

They stay silent for a while. Blaine's fingers draw careful patterns on the nape of Kurt's neck and Kurt's lips press light, feathery kisses to his neck sometimes.

"I won't regret it." Blaine breaks the silence "I really, really like you, Kurt."

"That's good."

"I know you think I'll regret this one day. I know you think you're… I don't know. I think you're afraid you're going to hurt me. But I'm not made of glass, Kurt, and the fastest way to hurt me is to treat me like I am. Whatever else you throw at me, I can handle. I know I won't ever regret you."

Kurt runs careful fingers through Blaine's cheek, watches in amazement as the boy leans into the touch and smiles. "In the spirit of that I won't even ask how you know that. I'll just accept it as true, and believe you. And I promise never to underestimate you."

"You promise a lot of things, Mister."

"Actually I don't… Not to anyone else, I don't."


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

On Monday, back in school Kurt closes the book with soft thud. It took them longer than expected to finish it because out of the three afternoons a week they spend together (alternating between Blaine's and Kurt's) they always seem to get lost in each other's lips, even if they start out reading for the first five minutes, and while they only took it further thank kissing before that very Friday it was still impossible to pull away from Blaine's kisses and breathy moans. At least once a week, though, they spend it dancing together, usually at Blaine's request.

So, they've decided to start reading at school, the only time that kissing or dancing aren't options and therefore ruling out distractions. They're sitting behind the bleachers. Not five feet away are Quinn and Santana playing cards and Kurt can make out a conversation about Quinn and Puck's newfound sex life he has no interest in actually listening to.

"So." Blaine says turning towards Kurt with a cheeky smile.

"So."

"That was your favorite book."

"That was my favorite book." Kurt confirms.

Blaine is silent for another moment, seemingly considering his words before scrunching up his face and asking in distaste "Really?"

"Shut up!" Kurt groans, pushing at his shoulder a little where's it's resting against Kurt's "You liked it too!"

Blaine just laughs silently, not even resisting Kurt's shove. They settle into silence once Blaine's stopped laughing (well, there's a soft chuckle every two seconds, but it's mostly silent), keeping their position. They sit arm to arm, Blaine pressed against Kurt's right side, his left leg thrown over Kurt's, and Kurt's hand resting on his knee.

"I did…" Blaine smiles after a while.

"What?"

"I did like it, poop-head." he grins "It's very… _you_." He says with some level of confidence before he adds "But hmm… I hope you're… you know… happier than him…?"

Kurt eyes him carefully, considering his answer for a moment. His problems didn't magically disappear, no. But Kurt wasn't lying to the Andersons that weekend, he did feel better. Lighter. Freer. "Yes. Definitely." He says "I feel like… I feel like I loved this book because I could relate to it, but… I still felt trapped, like even though I could relate, I still couldn't find my way out of it. And now… I love it… I still love it, but… there's more, you know? I don't feel stuck. I feel good! I feel hopeful."

Blaine seems to be blushing a little as he nods. His hand finds Kurt's and squeezes it.

"Exactly." Kurt says to the unvoiced question "But also dreams… I'm not – I'm not afraid to dream like I was. I get to have my own catcher in the rye fantasy, you know? I do think I found it." He sighs wistfully, and then because Blaine deserved to know everything he continues "I think… I think when I went over to talk to you, that first day of school… I think I was choosing that, you know? I needed to get out of a self-made prison, and I did. I wasn't supposed to like you, you know? But I did, and I didn't fucking care about anything else, so I went there and I talked to you.

"I made a choice to live for myself again, and not for expectations – whatever and whomever's they might be. I became this fucking bitter guy because I didn't want to care about what people thought of me, I didn't want the assholes calling me fag and pushing me around, but in the end I just… became another fucking lie. I think I'm finally finding the middle ground – I think that's who I am now. I can't go back to what I was exactly, but I don't want to be numb and bored either, I just... I want to be me and whatever the fuck feels right to me. And now I'm happy and I think… I think I do have a future, too, if I want it. And I do."

"I'm so happy to hear that." Blaine beams and rests his head on Kurt's shoulder.

"I'm… excited!" He adds with a small laugh.

"What about?"

He thinks for a beat and then "Reading as many books as I can. Writing as much as I need. Listening to music – even if it's embarrassing, especially if it's fucking embarrassing. Maybe singing again…? The prospect of college. Spending time with my dad… Spending time with Quinn and Santana." he smiles to himself and then kisses Blaine's forehead "And you."

"I excite you?" Blaine chuckles.

"Of course, babe." Kurt shrugs as if it's obvious, but Blaine only chuckles again and moves even closer.

He presses a kiss to Kurt's ear and then whispers in low, gravely voice, "You excite me too, Kurt."

Kurt chokes on air at the unexpected change of tone, and Blaine just throws his head back and laughs again. So it seems that their… episode in the back of Kurt's car the other night had revealed a whole new side of Blaine. A side Kurt was more than willing to live with.

"Yeah?" he says after he manages to clear his throat "Do you want to come over after school?"

Blaine grins and nods "Sure thing, poop-head." letting his fingers disentangle from Kurt's and find his inner thigh before his other hand finds Kurt's face and pulls him in for a kiss – his hand inching close to dangerous territory and making Kurt groan into Blaine's mouth.

The girls' sniggers are what pull them apart, but later that day, in Kurt's bedroom there is no one to keep them from deepening their kisses and making sure the other knows exactly how good and _excited_ they feel.

Kurt is once again mesmerized by the sounds that Blaine makes and how unrestrained he is, unbelievably vocal about every single flick of Kurt's tongue on his skin. He wonders how loud Blaine will be when they actually do have sex. Blaine comes with a choked cry as Kurt palms him through his jeans and, once he's come down from it, doesn't waist another second before flipping them over and pressing his leg insistently between Kurt's, one hand slipping under his T-shirt and over to a nipple and the other tugging at Kurt's hair, exposing his neck as Blaine's lips drag all over it.

"Fuck. God. Blaine…!" Kurt moans just before Blaine covers his mouth with his own and when Kurt does come his whine is muffled in moist lips and wet tongues.

Blaine slides easily off him, lying on his back as well, and they catch their breaths in silence.

It's a while before Blaine's hand searches for Kurt's and then he brings it to his lips, places a gentle kiss there and shuffles to snuggle into Kurt's arms, pressing his ear right above Kurt's beating heart.

They're going to ignore the mess inside their pants and just stay like this, Kurt decides, because there's nowhere else he'd rather be.

"Blaine?"

"Hmm?"

"Are_ you_ happy?"

"Of course."

"I don't… I don't mean… now. Exactly. I mean.. in general. With life. Don't you get… angry sometimes… about… you know?"

"Sometimes." He says with a shrug "I'm… I'm better now. I'm good."

They're silent again for a while.

"Blaine?"

"Hmm?"

"How did it happen? Were you always…-?"

"No. I was eight. We were in a car crash and I hit my head pretty hard. I had a concussion and brain swelling and I had to have surgery. One moment we were driving down the highway and another I was waking up and everything was dark. At first they thought I might get it back. But then… time just went by and I didn't get any better." He shrugs like it's that simple "For a few years it was… it was really hard. They got me to all the right schools, but I was impossible – I was just angry at the world and I lashed out and… I was just a difficult kid, you know? I used to love to play the violin and the piano before the accident but I'd stopped because I thought I wouldn't be able to, now... And then they heard of my old school, specialized in… special kids, not just blind, but… and there were music teachers there, too… and… I got that part of my life back, I guess. It helped a lot. I was twelve, I think, when I realized that my life wasn't over just because I was blind, and that I could still… have some of the things I loved the most."

"And now you're happy?"

"I am." He nods "I'm in a good place in my life. I mean, I wasn't thrilled when my first boyfriend dumped me because I wouldn't put out. But that's the thing. It has nothing to do with my handicap, anymore. Not every part of my life has to have anything to do with it! I know that now, and… it makes it a lot less like a prison… it's just… something unfortunate. A challenge I know I can overcome."

"You wouldn't put out?!"

Blaine laughed "Of course that was all you'd retain from that. It was lovely speech, you know?"

"Yeah. But you wouldn't put out?"

Blaine raises his head to stick his tongue out at Kurt "I trust _you_."

"You didn't trust him?"

Blaine shakes his head "Some people assume that because I have a handicap that I'll be desperate for affection or-or sex. He thought I was an easy lay. He was wrong. It lasted like a month and a half. At first I thought he was sweet and… yeah. But the more he kept pushing for it, the more I knew what we really wanted. I told him I wanted to wait, he told me I wasn't worth the wait."

"What?!"

"I think his final words were something like 'you're too short, anyway'"

"What?!" Kurt gasps "He was fucking crazy."

He sees the way Blaine blushes and pretends to look nonchalant as he says "I know. Which is why I _didn't_ have sex with him."

"For what is worth – you are so_ fucking_ worth the wait, Blaine. You are." He leans down to kiss his forehead, his lips lingering before he adds "And you're not short. You're pocket sized. It's handy!"

Blaine let's out a loud bark of laughter before punching Kurt playfully over the ribs. Kurt pulls him closer and closes the distance between their lips. The kiss is slow and gentle. "You're amazing." He whispers as they part. Blaine smiles softly, kisses him again before going back to listening to Kurt's heart. His fingers draw mindless patterns over the side of Kurt's chest. It feels wonderful. It feels a lot like tenderness and kind affection.

"Blaine…?" he mutters, after what might've been half an hour more of comfortable silence.

"Hmm?"

"Do you believe in God?"

Blaine shakes his head against Kurt's chest.

"Why not?"

He's silent for a while, but then he finally takes a deep breath and starts speaking, calmly, barely above a whisper. "There is a quote carved into the walls of a concentration camp. It says 'If there is a god, he will have to beg for my forgiveness.'. I don't… I don't feel like a god who could allow things like that to happen is a god I want to believe in. It's not just that I was a good kid and then out of the blue my life got turned upside down… It's that I had it bad, but there are people who have so much worse. And… they never did anything to deserve it. And it's not… it's not a test of faith. I don't think it is. Why should I ever be faithful to someone who could be so cruel about his tests? So… no. I believe in people, and the good that's inside all of us. I believe in kindness and justice. But I don't believe in god."

There's a silence.

"Do you?"

"When my mom got sick I prayed day and night for her to get better. She didn't."

Blaine nods softly against Kurt's chest, flattening his hand over Kurt's skin as if it could stretch enough to become a blanket. "We should read _Everything is Illuminated_ next…"

"I've never read that."

"You'll like it."

xXxXx

Kurt likes the feeling of Blaine's hand in his, whether they're alone or walking around the school. And the weather is getting really cold, so it's always nice: Blaine is like a human heater, he's always warm. He keeps him close and squeezes his hand every two minutes or so.

"Oh! Found her!" he says as he finally spots Quinn sitting on the bleachers instead of behind them.

"Thank god." Santana groans speeding up her pace towards the lone figure, Kurt and Blaine following closely behind.

It's Beth's birthday today. It's the one day of the year that not even Quinn can't hide her emotions. The three of them sit close to her, and Santana is fast to slip an arm around her "Hey there…"

"Hey…" she sighs, dejected "I'm sorry… I just… It's just the usual, you know? Is she happy? Do they love her? Do they treat her right? I keep remembering how it was to give birth to her, and… I mean… it's the closest thing we've got to magic, isn't it?"

Santana hugs her "You're in torn tights and combat boots, Q. You're not… she's better off. Someday… someday you'll be ready to be a mother, and you'll be great, but… at sixteen… you weren't, and you still aren't."

Quinn nods and silence falls over them.

"Do you – do you regret it?" Blaine's voice asks, shy and small.

She considers the question "I miss her. And I wish I could've kept her. But. She'll have a better life like this. So no."

"So… celebrate her, instead. Celebrate that you got to give birth to a beautiful little girl, and that she'll get to experience everything that's amazing in this world, Q. But… just, you should know you have a right to be sad, honey. You get to miss her and feel sad. And no one should ever blame you for that."

She smiles and reaches out to squeeze his hand "Thanks."

"Teenage pregnancy may not be the end of the world, but it still sucks. You're entitled to your feelings. Don't think you're not."

They fall into silence for a while, ignoring as the class bell rings loudly. Finally Quinn frowns lightly "How do you do it, Blaine?"

"What?"

"How are you not always angry at the world? How are you so… cheerful all the time?! Do you _focus on the positive_?" she says, half mocking the words.

Blaine frowns slightly "No. I just… I don't dwell on the negative, I guess, but... I wouldn't… I wouldn't say there's anything…- well." He pauses, clearly trying to get his thoughts together "I know there are people who say their handicap ended up being a blessing and that they – that we should always try to look at it like that…" he trails off and sighs "I think that's fucking bullshit. It's not a blessing and it's not a gift. It makes my life harder at every turn. Would I want my sight back if I could have it? Absolutely! But I can't. So… I just… choose not to think about what I could have and I… learn to play with the cards I'm dealt." He runs a hand through his face before taking a deep breath "My disability… it's not a gift, but it's not a curse, either."

"That's… I didn't expect that." Santana says "I thought you people were forced to spew off that optimistic crap."

Blaine laughs bitterly "I'm _ok_ with it now. But that doesn't mean I love it." he shrugs "No matter how much the books try to convince us to. More than thinking it's the best thing that ever happened to you, I think… the most important part is making peace with it and moving on. Never let your life revolve around it. And I suppose that also goes for you and Beth, Q."

"Anyway, the point is, pity party at my house after school!" Kurt announces loudly "Blaine insists on ice-cream instead of booze and I think we could try to give it a shot. No pun intended."

The girls laugh.

"Ok, but I demand booze on the Christmas party at my house!" Santana warns "I need to witness the awesomeness that must be a drunk Blainers. You have about two months to start working on your tolerance, Frodo." Blaine pushes a hand in her general direction "You hit my boob!"

"Ewww!" Blaine wrinkles his nose and the three of them burst out laughing.

"There you are!" A voice breaks them out of it and they turn to find Puck climbing the bleachers towards them "I've been looking for you everywhere." He says to Quinn sliding easily next to her on the bench and kissing her temple "Are you ok?"

"We're having a pity party. It will continue at my house after school, if you want to come?"

xXxXx

"Your tie is crooked." Kurt hisses, hand jumping instinctively to fix Burt's tie. Burt slaps it away.

"My tie is fine. Stop stressing!" he rolls his eyes just as they cross the fancy door.

"I'm not stressing!"

"Kurt." Burt tells him with a fixed stare.

"Fine. Let's go find the them."

Quinn and Santana look surprisingly stunning and completely appropriate and Kurt wants to thank the gods for their good momentary good judgment. Rachel has also made an appearance and has apparently decided that since they have Blaine in common Kurt and her are now undoubtedly friends – she spends a lot of time trying to convince the three of them to join glee club – Blaine already has. Even Puck and Finn showed up, arm in arm with their respective girlfriends, having cleaned up surprisingly well.

A bell rings overhead and they excitedly go to find seats. Kurt can see the Andersons a few rows ahead of them but chooses to avoid the couple for as long as he can.

The lights dim and Kurt watches the orchestra walk up to take their places. The pieces are stunning and energetic! He can feel every note on his body, making it vibrate with emotion! He never knew listening to classical music could be this fun, but he'll definitely ask Blaine for suggestions (he can help grin as he imagines Blaine not even needing a second before he starts rattling off names and titles). But then the whole orchestra is putting their instruments down and leaving and Blaine is stepping over to the middle of the stage, spotlight on him.

It's mesmerizing. It's otherworldly. It's magical.

The audience stands to applaud. Burt and Puck have their fingers between his teeth and he's whistling, Santana is practically catcalling, Quinn is laughing joyfully as she claps and Rachel, bless her, is torn between clapping enthusiastically and actually wiping her tears. Kurt can see the way Blaine is beaming and gasping for breath, overwhelmed by the response.

The orchestra files in again for a final piece and then Kurt can barely control himself before he's sprinting out of his seat, bouquet in hand to go meet Blaine. A tall man in a smart, black suit and his parents find him first, though, so Kurt slows his pace just in time not to run into them. The man leaves, handing Blaine a card, and Kurt decides to go over.

"-ifficent, Blaine. Your mother is a sobbing mess, she can't even speak right now!"

Blaine laughs, his cheeks flushed.

"I'm so proud!" Mrs. Anderson sputters out before tackling him for a hug.

"Can't breathe, mom!" he chokes, between laughter.

Kurt takes the opportunity to clear his throat. The three of them turn to him.

"Kurt!" Mrs. Anderson smiles broadly, surprising him and… well… everyone "You look so nice!"

"Huh, thanks, Mrs. Anderson." He blushes "Hum, hi Mr. Anderson."

The man shakes his hand with a warm smile as well "Are those for Blaine?" he asks, eyes darting momentarily to the bouquet of red roses.

"Are what for me?" Blaine asks grinning.

Kurt steps closer and puts the bouquet in his hands "These are for you. You were spectacular. You completely blew my mind up there. I think there's chunks of it on the chandelier."

Blaine laughs heartily and his hand leave the bouquet to find Kurt's arm and trailing it until it's cupping his jaw and before Kurt knows it Blaine's lips are pressed to his "Thanks!" he breathes as he pulls apart, bringing the flowers up to his nose, and leaving Kurt completely shell-shocked.

He doesn't know if he wants to look at the Andersons right now, but when he can't help it he finds them biting back laughter.

"Blaine! You were great!" A voice snaps Kurt out of his stupor and he turns to find his dad clapping Blaine over the shoulder (Blaine flinches the tiniest bit, but recovers easily enough that Kurt won't want to scream at his dad for doing that).

Soon the girls join them and congratulate Blaine with words and voices just as effusive, Blaine graciously thanking each of them not just for the words but also for coming, and leaning in for a quick hug.

"The four of us had planned for dinner." Mr. Anderson prompts after a moment of silence "Would you guys like to join us?"

They're stunned at the invite but Rachel is quick to accept it and soon both Quinn and Santana do as well, the boys too intimidated to say no.

"Lovely!" Mrs. Anderson announces, "It's always great to meet Blaine's friends! I've heard so many things about you!"

"Only good things, I hope!" Rachel teases, and they're off to the parking lot.

Kurt makes sure to walk close to Blaine, not quite able to separate from his genius, talented boyfriend. "You were amazing." He whispers.

Blaine grins and chases the sound of Kurt's voice to kiss his nose "Thank you."

"You was that man?"

Blaine's smile widens even more and he shows Kurt the card "Not_ I_ can use it, but look!"

Kurt's eyes make sense of the words "Julliard!"

"Admission's office!" Blaine nods happily "He said they want me to go there. I'm going to Julliard, Kurt!" He gasps and skips a little, giggling when Kurt squeezes his arms around Blaine and showers his whole face with kisses.

Dinner is… surprisingly pleasant. Burt manages to make easy conversation with Blaine's parents, and gets along especially well with Mrs. Anderson as soon as she admits to a secret crush on Bruce Springsteen ("back in the day!"), making Burt grin, Mr. Anderson roll his eyes and Blaine choke on his drink. The only thing that would make it better was if he somehow got to spend sometime with Blaine. Alone.

They're finishing the main course when Kurt eyes the garden outside and tries no to smile too wide. "I feel like getting some fresh air. And the snow outside looks so nice. Would you mind if I skipped dessert?" everyone shakes their heads and smiles knowingly as he turns to Blaine "Want to join me?"

"Yes!" he breathes, eliciting chuckles from around the table. They ignore them in favor of getting their coats. Blaine's arm gently looped around Kurt's.

As soon as the cool air hits their faces Blaine shuffles even closer, and Kurt directs them to a more discreet spot, where the windows aren't a problem.

"You were a fucking_ star_ tonight, Blaine." Kurt says.

"I know!" Blaine grins, making Kurt laugh and pull him in, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist. Blaine sticks his tongue out with a smirk and Kurt doesn't even bother to think before he chases it and kisses Blaine mid-laugh. Blaine's surprise doesn't take much away from it, and soon there are impossibly warm hands cupping Kurt's cheeks and deepening the kiss and making the air around them warm impossibly.

Kurt pulls back, his arms tightening around Blaine's neck, keeping him right there before he gasps "You take my breath away!"

He doesn't miss the way Blaine seems to sway a little, like his legs almost gave out, even if it's not even a second before there are lips pressed hotly and hungrily to Kurt's jaw, working their way down, hands pulling at the scarf. Blaine's frantic hands and kisses only serve to make the fire in Kurt burn hotter, despite the freezing air around them and the fact that their families and friends are just inside the restaurant. He holds Blaine tight, pushes him against a tree and unbuttons his jacket between deep, raw kisses.

He knows he should say something about the way Blaine has spread his legs so Kurt fits perfectly between them, standing as close as he possibly can. He should say something about the way Blaine's unmistakable erection is pressing against his hip. He should say something about the two hands grasping his ass fiercely. But he's not one to talk, because he has one hand under Blaine's shirt, travelling over smooth planes of skin and muscle right over the already hard nub of flesh, and another dancing nervously around the edge of Blaine's jeans, slipping between fabric and hot, hot skin.

"We shouldn't…" he hears Blaine moan in a broken voice, between pants, as his hips buck against Kurt's.

"I know…"

"I-Our pants…"

"I know." Kurt silences him with a deep, unrelenting kiss, slowly moving them so they're definitely and completely hidden from view. He lets both his hands rest on the button of Blaine's jeans "Tell me if you want me to stop." He whispers, but Blaine doesn't say anything, he just looks completely stunned, and Kurt takes it as permission to pop the button and unzip the zipper, his hand sliding immediately inside Blaine's boxers and wrapping around his hard length.

"Kurt…!" Blaine gasps, voice high, wanton and completely, utterly broken.

"Do you want me to stop?" Kurt asks, hand stilling where it had started to move.

"N-no. No!"

Kurt breathes in relief and starts moving his hand again, slowly, like the kiss he leans forward for. Blaine's moans are delicious on his tongue, but eventually, when Blaine starts thrusting his hips into Kurt's hand, begging for speed, pressure and friction he pulls back and says "You'll need to be quiet…"

Without another word he drops to his knees.

"Kurt!" Blaine gasps and Kurt looks up to find him completely wrecked and panting, but before he can ask again Blaine hastens to shake his head frantically "No! Don't stop! Never stop!"

Kurt can't help but grin and chuckle at that, pressing his lips to the exposed skin of Blaine's hip to center himself again. He trails a line of long, wet kisses, leaving a bruising mark on the way to Blaine's cock, which he licks, long and slow at first, prompting Blaine's knees to falter slightly and his hands to grasps desperately at the tree trunk.

"C-can't believe this is happening!" he gasps, chuckling nervously, and Kurt beams as he wraps his mouth around Blaine's cock and sinks over it in a drawn out movement, until his mouth his full of Blaine's thickness and his nose breathing in nothing but the heady scent of his boyfriend. He brings a hand up to cover what his mouth can't take before he lets his tongue swirl around Blaine in purposeful movements "Oh god, oh god, oh god!", he pulls back leisurely, hollowing his cheeks as much as he can. He pulls back until Blaine's cock falls out of his mouth with a soft pop, and after kissing its head with a smile he asks "Is this ok?"

"Is th- is- Kurt! _**yes**_!" Blaine groans with a laugh.

So Kurt sinks his mouth over Blaine again, his movements a little faster, each time he pulls back in, spotting something to press his tongue against the shaft, or slip it between the slit, tasting pre-come and moaning as he sinks right over it again, eager to taste it even better. He looks up to find Blaine breathing harshly through his nose, biting his lip in a clear attempt to keep quiet.

His head is bobbing faster soon; Blaine's breathing becoming more labored by the second, and Kurt can hear his hands scratching at tree for something, his body arching up against the tree, needy whines escaping from the back of his throat, so he knows Blaine is close. He sucks harder, goes deeper and faster – harder, deeper, faster, harder, deeper, faster – and then his mouth his filled with Blaine's come, Blaine cry muffled against his hand – a strangled "Kurt!" – and he swallows around him, not stopping until he's got everything.

He pulls away, feeling his jaw a little sore and his lips burning. He smiles at how sated Blaine looks, slumping against the tree, and ignores his own erection and he pulls the deep red briefs up and buttons up the expensive looking jeans before standing up, his breath hitching at the friction it creates. He cups Blaine's cheek gently and presses a kiss to the other "You look happy." He teases.

Blaine gives a breathless laugh "That was…" he trails off, apparently still too dazed to find words.

"I'm glad you liked it."

Another laugh "I fucking loved it." he pulls Kurt against him again, finding his lips in a matter of split-seconds and kissing him gratefully, with lazy, pliant lips. Post-orgasm kisses are always fantastic, Kurt thinks.

A hand travels between then to settle over Kurt's belt "But what about you?"

"I can wait." He says, his voice happy and gentle "They could come get us any moment, now."

"Not fair…!" Blaine sighs against his chin as he kisses it sloppily.

"Blaine, you don't have to give me a blowjob just because I gave you one, though. You know that, right?"

Blaine rolls his eyes "Of course I know that, you idiot. Just like I would've stopped you if I wanted you to stop. I'm not… like that and you know it." he says sternly before smiling and letting his fingers trail over Kurt's clothed crotch "I want to, poop-head."

"Ok…" he appeases Blaine, making sure he knows Kurt trusts his words by kissing him soundly "I'm looking forward to it, then."

Blaine grins and then leans over and, hot breath all over Kurt's ear he nibbles it before whispering "Also… Maybe I could call you tonight." He runs the tip of his tongue over the shell of Kurt's ear, the way that he knows sends shivers down his spine "You know… just to… set things up."

"Oh." He gasps, his loosening pants tightening again all of a sudden "Right. You should do that. You should definitely do that."

xXxXx

"Kuuuurt." Blaine whines, wriggling between Kurt's legs as they sit comfortably in their go-to position for reading.

"What?"

"That book is boring."

"No it isn't!"

"Yes, it is! I'm choosing the book next time!"

"Yes, because_ your_ last choice was so fucking _good_."

He tries not to laugh as Blaine's cheeks turn a deep shade of red "I_ told_ you. I _heard_ great things about it."

"Sucks for you! You're not picking another book for the rest of the month." Kurt states before blowing a raspberry on the back of Blaine's neck, making him wriggle some more and giggle helplessly "So, shut up and listen." He says before he raises the book to read again.

"No. I won't shut up. I refuse to shut up! I will not be silenced! I have a right to speammghnmmffmmf." Kurt grins as his hand covers Blaine's mouth and he continues to read. Blaine eases up after a while and Kurt reads a whole paragraph without interruption, his hand still safely blocking Blaine's mouth.

He's midsentence when Blaine's tongue pokes out and he starts licking wetly over Kurt's palm. He resists a laugh as he powers through it and finishes the page.

"Kuuurt!" Blaine whines, yanking his face away from Kurt's hand.

"What!" Kurt half laughs.

"I love you!" He grins, with a chuckle as he takes advantage of Kurt's surprise and turns around in his arms, and yanking the book out of Kurt's hand, throwing it away "I love you, poop-head."

Kurt's still in a daze as Blaine kisses him slowly, smiling and laughing against Kurt's lips.

"I-I-I love you, too."

Blaine's smile softens and he cocks his head a little bit "You don't have to say it just because I did, poop-head."

"Hey!" Kurt says, sitting up straighter at once "Have I ever lied to you?"

Blaine rolls his eyes, and gives him a cheeky smile "No…!"

"Then I love you, you idiot."

"See, I keep telling you, there's a difference between poop-head and idiot." Blaine says, faking exasperation.

Kurt ignores his observation, and instead maneuvers Blaine into straddling him, pulling him practically flush "I've known I love you since you insisted on popping the champagne over at New Year's Eve and then broke your mother's favorite vase and made me go get glue in the middle of the fucking night so she wouldn't find out."

Blaine doesn't ask why Kurt never said anything, instead he grins and says "I knew I was falling in love with you when you let me and your dad make fun of you just because we were enjoying it. I knew I loved you when you told me I took your breath away, I knew I was ready to tell you I loved you when I accidentally punched you in the balls and you wouldn't let me apologize and kissed me with tears of pain in your eyes." He kisses Kurt gently and pulls back just as Kurt was about to deepen it, pressing their foreheads together and bringing a hand to trace his fingers tenderly through Kurt's face "And I knew I was ready to make love to you when you called me last night at three in the morning to tell me I owed you fifty bucks for that_ stupid_ bet and all I wanted to tell you was how much you mean to me."

"Make love?" Kurt mutters, brushing his lips against Blaine's.

Blaine nods slowly "Happy Valentine's day."

"It's not Valentine's day." Kurt frowns "That's next week, idiot."

Blaine shakes his head "If Christmas can be any day a man wants it to be, so can Valentine's day." He announces "I've always dreamed of losing my virginity on Valentine's day, after a perfectly romantic date in which I would also tell somebody I loved them for the first time in my life. I've decided I want Valentine's Day to be today, because I don't want to wait anymore."

Kurt can't help the grin that spreads over his face "It's four in the afternoon, we just came back from school and we were just reading. I think you missed the romantic date part."

"Don't make me be cheesy." Blaine giggles, throwing himself at Kurt, wrapping his arms tightly around him and burying his blushing face in Kurt's chest.

"I never need to make you be cheesy, Blaine. You just are."

"And here I was considering telling you that every moment spent with you is without fail hopelessly romantic."

"That's so fucking cheesy!" Kurt laughs, before moving them in a swift motion, so that Blaine's lying on the bed under him, arms thrown limply to his sides and chest heaving with surprise and laughter.

"Poop-head!"

"But I love it when you're cheesy." Kurt mutters against Blaine's lips before he kisses him.

"Still poop-head!" Blaine insists, sounding half laughing, half tantrum.

"You love my poop-head!"

"I love your poop-head." He agrees before pulling Kurt down to kiss him thoroughly.

Kurt pulls back just enough to ask "When you say make love you mean…?"

"Now. All the way." Blaine says, his voice completely devoid of amusement or teasing "I want you, Kurt, I want you so bad. It's ok if you don-"

Kurt can't help but kiss him again, loosing himself in the feeling, realizing he could very well get to kiss every single inch of Blaine today and he falls in love all over again with each kiss he delivers. To lips, to jaw, to temples, to ear, to neck, to breast bone…

"I have condoms." Blaine gasps, arching off the bed as Kurt's hands slide easily beneath his shirt bunching it up. He tugs at it and Blaine sits up enough for Kurt to pull it over his head before diving right back in to kiss every inch of the newly exposed skin "In my bag. Condoms. In my bag. And lube. I bought lube too. No – I didn't buy it. The lube's mine. I use it when I – anyway, I brought it, and… I did buy the – oh god – the condoms, though. I even had to ask for help, because I coul- jeeesus! – couldn't tell which were which, obviously and anyway, I didn't know which condoms to get, exactly, and I-"

"Blaine?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

Blaine gives a sort of strangled chuckle, but seems to melt completely into it the moment Kurt's tangling their tongues together, his hand reaching down to cup Blaine through his pants.

They shed clothes with nervous, but eager hands, and revel in the skin on skin contact it allows: Kurt could just come from the way Blaine's hands are touching him, like he's the only thing keeping his heart beating, like there isn't an inch of Kurt that isn't covered in gold, like he wants to feel everything Kurt feels. Kurt buries his face in Blaine's neck the moment his fingers slip beneath the elastic of his briefs, tugging them down inch by inch, hands greedily grabbing Kurt's ass the moment it's free. Kurt kicks the briefs the rest of the way off before removing Blaine's and not resisting to duck down and lick over the length of Blaine's hard cock. Blaine's response is immediate as he moans and his hands fist the sheets at once.

Kurt smiles at this and he thinks he might want the condoms and the lube close by now. He hurries to get them and announces his return with a searing kiss, lowering himself and covering Blaine's whole body with his own. They both moan at the sensation and Blaine immediately wraps his legs around Kurt's hips and slots their hips together, cocks coming to rub against one another deliciously. "Oh my god!" Kurt moans into their kiss, before Blaine moves to place open mouthed, wet, sloppy kisses and bites all over his neck and shoulder, certainly leaving marks – several marks.

Their pace starts becoming a little too much and Kurt knows he needs to stop it before they both come from just this. He starts sliding down Blaine's body, placing kiss after kiss on his torso, drawing a straight line to his flushed cock, and loving how, as he reaches it and sinks his mouth over it, Blaine's legs fall wide open for him, making it plenty clear what Blaine wants. Throwing a fumbling hand out he finds the lube, barely bothering to look at what he's doing before he squeezes some onto his fingers.

"This might hurt a little…" he warns, breath still hot over Blaine's cock.

"It won't." Blaine shakes his head, "just go for it."

"Blaine…" Kurt warns.

"It won't! I do it all the time! Go for it! Please!"

Kurt freezes for a second as he finally registers that the bottle of lube, thrown carelessly across the bed, is indeed more than half empty. There aren't enough cold showers in the world that would lessen the fire in Kurt's belly now. "Fuck!" he whines and he thinks he can see the hint of a smirk on Blaine's face. The idiot.

"Will you_ do_ something, please?!" Blaine urges after a while, voice low.

"Alrigth! I'm sorry! I just – I'm sorry!" he mumbles, before trying to regain some semblance of rational thought.

He circles Blaine's entrance teasingly, and at once he can hear Blaine's breath change. He pushes in slowly, trying not to come because of the way Blaine pushes down against him, trying to get it to move faster. His finger sinking into Blaine is quite possibly the hottest thing ever.

By the time he's got two fingers inside of Blaine he's completely incapable of resisting the urge to wrap his lips around the cock, hard and resting on Blaine's taut stomach, too close to Kurt's face. However, the very moment he does Blaine's moans turn into cries of obscenities and profanity and he pulls away "Don't! Kurt! Fuck! Don't! I'll come! If you do that I'll come before you're even inside of me!" he pants out.

"Who says we can't have two rounds?" Kurt teases, chasing Blaine's cock with his tongue.

"Save_ that_ for round two, but right now I want you. I want to make love to you. _Please_!"

Kurt feels his heart falter at Blaine's frantic plea "Ok. I'm sorry." He says softly before adding a third finger and crooking them so. After just a few tries Blaine cries out and arches off the bed "OH MY GOD, RIGHT THERE, YOU, PLEASE YOU, MORE, NOW!"

Mesmerized, Kurt wastes no time in rolling the condom on and slicking himself up with lube, hissing at how hard he is. He has a feeling he won't last spectacularly long. Kurt climbs on top of Blaine again, kissing his lips ridiculously chastely, as one hand goes back to wrap Blaine's legs around him, before slipping between them and aligning his own cock to Blaine's entrance.

The second he pushes in Blaine becomes the perfect picture of ecstasy. Head thrown back, one hand fisting the sheet and the other flying to fist Kurt's hair, legs tightening impossibly around Kurt's hips, back arching of the bed as a cry falls out red, glistening, swollen lips.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Blaine." Kurt gasps, wondering how he didn't come just from that sight, combined with the heat and the tightness around him. He can feel sweat dripping down his back.

Like with the fingers Blaine has no issues in thrusting back, meeting Kurt's movements, making them faster and deeper, his hands coming to clutch at Kurt's ass and setting a rhythm for their hips. Kurt closes his own eyes, loosing himself in their bodies, letting them become a single organism working for climax. He feels himself – more than he thinks it or consciously chooses – slipping towards the mattress and pulling Blaine with him, loving the feeling of Blaine's thighs pressed hotly against his hips as they straddle him, and reveling in the way Blaine's hands can never pinpoint somewhere to rest on Kurt's torso, where to balance himself, so they just keep sliding from spot to spot, feeling everything like it's the first time, fingers sometimes digging almost painfully into his flesh, nails undoubtedly leaving marks.

He runs his own hands over Blaine's legs and reaches backwards to take a good hold of firm, muscular ass cheeks into his hands, squeezing and kneading as he guides Blaine through his movements. The way Blaine keeps changing from covering Kurt with his body, showering him with sloppy, breathy kisses, and pulling back completely to just sit and sink over Kurt and cry with pleasure, throwing his head back, would be enough to get Kurt off for a thousand years, and when he feels himself getting close to the edge he follows Blaine up, follows his kiss, follows his scent and his heat; feels as the change in angle makes Blaine's voice break entirely, and wraps a hand around him, not even pumping twice before Blaine's spilling warmth all over his hand and their stomachs, his strong arms crushingly tight around Kurt's back. Kurt feels Blaine's body work around himself and his vision turns white and he cries out for Blaine, toes curling in on themselves, fingers digging into sweaty, flushed skin – world collapsing deliciously around them.

Once they manage to at least think again, Kurt lets his head rest on Blaine's shoulder "I love you." He breathes out.

Blaine just nods against him, still holding him tight as he pulls them back onto the mattress, and Kurt pulls out of him, taking off the condom and throwing it in the trashcan, before grabbing his t shirt and wiping them both clean.

"How long until round two?" Blaine's raspy voice interrupts the silence in which only their ragged, recovering breaths sounded.

Kurt laughs and turns to smile at him "I'm sure we could find out." He says before kissing him, nice and slow.

"I love you." Blaine says as they pull apart.

"We're gonna wear it out."

"Never!" Blaine says in a completely too adorable for his own good voice, scrunching up his face.

"I never thought it could feel like this." Kurt admits, running a gentle hand through Blaine's hair.

"Really?!" Blaine gasps, voice barely audible, looking radiant, happy and eager, before shuffling even closer.

"Yes. I never… I… I didn't know. This was perfect." Kurt cups his face lovingly, and kisses him soundly before he says "You're perfect. And so, so, so, so worth the wait."

Blaine titters, blushing and hiding his face on his pillow he steals a kiss to Kurt's shoulder and grins, raising an eyebrow "I know. But I still don't _see_ what the fuss is all about."

While Kurt is left staring at him with his mouth hanging open Blaine just rolls over in a fit of giggles, of cackles even!, amazingly pleased with his lame joke. Kurt thinks that's his life now – an assortment of silly jokes and too much giggling. The thought makes him smile.


End file.
